


Voyages Extraordinaires

by nautilusrose



Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel)
Genre: Airships, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fanart, Fluff and Angst, Jules Verne - Freeform, Multi, Post-Canon, Post-Finis Route, Romance, Smut, Steampunk, Submarines, lots of nemo screaming and ugly crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-06-13 12:34:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 65
Words: 168,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15364827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nautilusrose/pseuds/nautilusrose
Summary: Impey Barbicane is approached by Professor Aronnax, a biologist who longs to commission a submarine to journey across the Atlantic. Though Impey is preoccupied with his trip to the moon, he does know of a scientist who just might be crazy enough to attempt it!





	1. A Great Mind of Paris

**Author's Note:**

> All of the original characters in this fanfiction are based off of existing Jules Verne characters, much like Impey and Nemo are. I will be putting character sources and plot information in the end notes.  
> Though this fanfic is a bit of a love story to Jules Verne's work, you do not need to have read any in order to enjoy it. I mean, let's get real, most of us probably didn't know who Impey Barbicane was prior to this game.  
> Finally, thank you very much for taking the time to read this. It is a very self-indulgent story, I won't even try to pretend it isn't, but a lot of love was put into it.

I can still see the headmaster’s face, puffed and purple as I hand him my letter of resignation.

“You have so much potential!” he had said. “And now you’re throwing away your career on a whim? Don’t be stupid!”

“I do have potential.”

I pause to let my words seep into his large pores like a salve. 

“I do have potential, and I know that if I stay here, I will never be able to test that potential. It’s too safe for me here.”

The headmaster gawks. “Have you lost your mind, Pauline?! Yes, it is safe! Do you know how many people are vying for safe careers? Besides, you’re doing great things here, you’re teaching the greatest minds of Paris!”

“I am a great mind of Paris!”

…

As I take my seat on the train, the grand memory of my walk-out comes to a close.

Some scientists pour their passion into machinery, fitting cogs and channeling electricity into a miracle. My power comes from observation and documentation. It sounds so simple, but my desire to observe is what is sending me to Steel London.

It is what will be sending me to South America.

“Wait for me, Impey Barbicane!” 

Recently, there was a grand expo at Paris. A World’s Fair, where all the great powers gathered and showed the best engineering that their countries had to offer. As a biologist, there was little I could do to contribute, but that didn’t stop me from visiting countless times. I had visited the one in London years before but, as expected, Paris defied all expectations. The setting was a fairytale, and the technology inside was magic.

Despite Paris’ splendor, however, the star of the show was Britain. Locomotives showed mastery over land, and airships showed mastery over the skies, but both paled to the crown jewel of the Fair. Yes, even airships, once the darlings of engineering, were falling out of vogue. People who gazed up at the flying wonders could only see the shadow of the monster that had risen from London and called itself ‘Nautilus’.

It was impossible not to see the Nautilus lurking in every design presented there, for was it not a perversion of science itself? I have never been fond of airships, but even the most enthusiastic child’s smile faded when they were reminded of that terror.

London had given birth to the Nautilus, but it also had Impey Barbicane. Not only was he one of the heroes responsible for bringing down the Nautilus, but he arrived in an airship that he modified himself. He took the time to speak with the public, and all who heard them were instilled with hope. His optimism was infectious, and I have no doubt that he will be one of the architects that brings engineering back to its full glory. 

I wish I had gotten the chance to speak with him then, especially after I saw his masterpiece. The final piece of humanity’s mastery was the sea, and Barbicane presented a magnificent submersible capable of sinking to the very bottom of the ocean. The way he described the sights of the seabed was enough to make anyone fall in love.

After that day, no matter how hard I tried to concentrate on my work, I knew I had left my heart back at the World’s Fair. I hadn’t felt so inspired since I was a teenager roaming the deep jungles of far-off countries, sketching each animal I came across. How had I come to settle down in Paris as a professor? Was it the promise that my research would be spread throughout the scientific community? Could I lie to myself and say that it was for a purpose as glorious as that?

No. It’s because I felt safe there.

Though I had been considered a prodigy once, my novelty had worn off, and I was left with nothing but a dull, unfulfilling life ahead of me. I couldn’t resign myself to that, especially after seeing that submersible, that promise of new worlds.

Of course, there were people I had to leave behind in this journey.

I smile as I look out the window. Poor Conseil has likely found out by now that I’ve left. A part of me will probably always feel guilty for leaving my close friend behind, but I couldn’t wait for him.

I close my eyes and feel the train sway beneath me. I try to block out the thought, but it comes to my lips anyway:

“I sure could use that calmness of his…”

…

Soon enough I’m walking through Steel London. At any other time I would be relishing the atmosphere, playing anthropologist as I watch life flourishing on every street corner. But today I’m paying attention to the street signs, putting my nose to the directions in front of me.

“…..”

It’s becoming harder for me to ignore the dull throbbing of the soles of my feet. If I had known that Steel London would be such a pain to navigate, I would have hired a guide!

The sun is setting behind the tall trees when I finally begin to pass grand estates. It’s far quieter here than in the majority of London, and I can’t help but feel out of place. Still, this is where the directions led me. The metalworkers seemed familiar enough with the name Impey Barbicane, so I have no reason to doubt them.

As I look at the gorgeous gated estate in front of me, though, I still find myself doubting it.

Maybe my doubts are clouding my judgement, or maybe I’m simply tired, but stepping forward seems like a monumental task, and I find myself simply standing there staring at the gate.

I’m not sure how long I stand there in a daze, but I’m suddenly jolted by the sound of an explosion. As black smoke begins billowing into the night sky, the thought of potential injured parties makes me throw open the gate and run inside, good manners be damned!

I navigate my way around the well-manicured grounds of the estate, and the smoke eventually leads me to the back. There’s a strange little shed back here patchworked together. It would almost be charming if it weren’t for the fumes burning my eyes.

“Is there anyone in there?!” I call out as I shield my face and move forward.

There’s another crash, and I hear someone call out to me.

“My angel, you’ve come back!”

Before I can fully register what I’ve heard, a tall man with a thick red braid comes barreling out of the shed. He’s beaming with joy as he runs up to me, and I barely have time to brace myself before he throws his arms around me and pulls me tight to him.

“Cardia-chan, my princess, you’ve returned to me at last!”

The words don’t come out of my mouth at first. The abrasive scent of oil surrounds me, and his grip betrays his strength. I feel my face heat up as my voice bubbles up in a mere gurgle.

“I’m not…” I manage to croak.

I feel his posture stiffen. As the smoke clears, I see the one and only Impey Barbicane looking down at me with wide eyes.

“Woah!” he takes a step back and flashes me an apologetic grin. “Sorry about that, I thought you were…”

“Your angel?” I quirk an eyebrow, but squeeze my eyes shut at the sound of another explosion.

“Geez, h-hold that thought!” Barbicane turns around and runs back into the shed before I can stop him.

Surely he must be working on a magnificent engine, or some new and volatile experiment! I begin to get starry-eyed as I think of the possibilities, but the stars quickly crash back to earth when I see Barbicane walk back out holding a smoking glass at arm’s length.

“’Keeps you energized,’ he says. ‘Won’t need to sleep for three days,’ he says. Man, if I had tried to drink this a moment sooner—yikes!” the beaker shatters in his hands. Whatever it was in the vial, it’s nothing more than a smoking crater in the earth now.

“I’m sorry about your results,” I say, staring down at the mess.

“Huh? Oh, no, this is nothing.” Barbicane laughs, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

The light glints off of his teeth, and I squint. This man… is ridiculously charming, with emphasis on the ‘ridiculous’ part.

“I’m glad I could find you. I have a proposal for you.”

“Oh, a proposal, is it?” he puts his hands on his hips. “Mm-hmm, I see. Unfortunately, my heart is already spoken for—”

“I beg your pardon,” I interrupt. I like to think that I have a cool head, but I can only handle so much buffoonery at once. I know I have to stop him before he declares his love for his ‘angel’ again or, worse, seriously begins to consider that my proposal is anything except a scientific matter!

“My name is Professor Pauline Aronnax,” I continue, taking advantage of Barbicane’s stunned silence. “I came here to find the man who built the magnificent submersible that was the crown jewel of the World Expo.”

“Well, you’ve found him.” Impey smiles again, but it seems a little calmer this time. “Professor Aronnax, was it?” he tilts his head as if examining me. “The Professor Aronnax with the giant squid?” 

My, it was a strange thing to be known for. Hearing someone else say it so bluntly made that entire expedition sound rather trivial.

“Yes, I’m that Professor Aronnax,” I say. “But I’m afraid the scientific community has given me too much credit. There have been larger specimens found since then, and finding the cephalopod on the shore like that was mere luck.”

Barbicane put a finger to his lips and shushed me with a wink. “Hey now, don’t sell yourself short. I’m not a biologist, but those diagrams you illustrated took some real work, am I right? You have some fans here in London.”

“… Cephalopods aside…” I continue. “The point is, I want you to build a submarine for me. One capable of crossing the Atlantic.”

Barbicane goes quiet, chewing on his lip as he wipes some oil off of his cheek.

“I can’t,” he finally says.

This time it’s my turn to go silent. To be honest, the thought of being rejected flat-out hadn’t crossed my mind. I had expected some resistance with funding, but this is completely unexpected.

“I see. I suppose I thought it would be within your ability, since you had such success with the submersible. Perhaps technology isn’t as advanced as I was hoping.”

“Ah, no, don’t get me wrong!” Barbicane shakes his head. “I -can- do it, but… I can’t.”

I stare.

“I don’t follow.”

“I can’t because I’m working on my dream,” says Barbicane. He looks towards the sky and the stars that have begun to speckle it. “Look, see that?” He points up to the moon glistening like a pearl in the sky. “That’s my dream.”

“The moon?” I repeat.

“I’m going to go to the moon,” he says. “I made the submersible for my patron, that way my dream will come true.”

I look up at the sky with him. It’s not my place to judge, especially since I know my goal isn’t very realistic, either. Still, it seems rather farfetched. He’s staring up at the sky like an excited little boy, though, and I think better of saying anything. He’s probably heard it from countless people already.

“Hmm, but…” Barbicane scratches the back of his head. “You know, I can’t do it, but… I think I might know someone crazy enough to attempt it.”

“Really?” my eyes widen and I choose to ignore his choice of words (‘crazy’, says the man who wants to go to the moon). “You know someone capable of that?”

“He’s capable, all right,” says Barbicane. He casts his eyes back down to the smoking crater where the glass had exploded. “He’s, ah, a little detained at the moment, though.”

“That’s a shame,” I say. “I was hoping to proceed immediately.” Immediately, like, before my funds run out.

“Sure, sure,” says Barbicane. “Listen, I’ll take you to him tomorrow morning, how does that sound? You can give him your proposal—” he pauses to smile again, showing off a pair of canine teeth as impish as his name, “—and it’ll give him something to look forward to. He shouldn’t be incarcerated for much longer.”

“Ah…”

Incarcerated?

“Where exactly is this capable friend of yours?” I ask.

\-----

The next morning, as I look up at the gates of Buckingham Palace, I find myself wishing that I hadn’t asked.

“Is, ah, your companion with the Royal Society?”

“Uh… he was once,” Barbicane gives me a confident smile.

I cross my arms, unamused.

“Look, I might as well be honest with you before you meet him,” says Barbicane. “Otherwise, you might be a little… surprised.”

His expression turns serious.

“Do you remember the Nautilus?”

My mouth goes dry. I wish I didn’t have to answer, and my tongue feels heavy as I say: “Yes.”

How could anyone forget that abomination? It was science’s Tower of Babel!

Surely its creator had been struck down, much like those prideful architects? But I know that isn’t true. The trial of the Nautilus’ creator has been kept hushed up by the British crown, but it is a known fact that he is still alive and paying penance.

“Mr. Impey Barbicane, you can’t be serious…” I trail off.

“I know it sounds crazy,” says Barbicane. “But, to be honest, your dream sounds crazy, too. Heck, so does my dream! I feel like we scientists all have to be a little crazy, otherwise our genius would put us at an unfair advantage, you know?”

Despite the fear pooling in my stomach, I find myself laughing at his statement. A submarine voyage across the Atlantic, a trip to the moon… Barbicane is right.

“A lot of stuff has happened, and yeah he’s a creep, but, well, just try talking to him. If you want to go on a submarine getaway, I can’t think of anyone better. After all, it was his technology that allowed the submersible to be completed. That’s a fact he’ll never let me forget, haha!” Barbicane looks away and concludes with a small smile: “He’s… my friend.”

I nod, weighing his words carefully. Finally, I sigh: “If Impey Barbicane considers him a colleague, then I will as well.”

“Ah, I’m glad to hear that!” says Impey. “Just, keep that sentiment in mind, okay?”

All of the good feelings I was having instantly disappeared.

The dungeons underneath Buckingham Palace are surprisingly empty. It’s eerie how quiet they are. All I can hear are our solemn footsteps as the guard escorts us through the halls.

“I must say, I was expecting it to be livelier down here,” I say.

“Yeah,” Barbicane laughs nervously. “Not many people can stay down here long, it seems.”

“Is the creator of the Nautilus truly so frightening?”

Both the guard and Barbicane turn back and stare at me, uncertainty—and perhaps pity– written on their faces.

A man so fearsome he can send hardened criminals running… I feel like I might lose my nerve. But, I can’t turn back after I’ve come so far, no matter how chilling this man might be.

“This is as far as I’m going,” the guard tells us. “You have an hour.”

“Just an hour today?” Barbicane protests. “Come on, we’re going to be discussing plans today. The guy’s going to be released soon, and—”

“I’m just following orders. Besides, how can you stand the sound of his voice for even that long?”

After the guard closes the door, Barbicane huffs. “Rude.”

I look up at him and am about to say something when…

We’re greeted by the sound of running footsteps, and something slamming into cell bars.

“IIIIMMMMMMMMPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY BARBICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!”

The voice is so loud that the cells around us rattle.

“You’ve fiiiiiiiiiiinally come, Impey Barbicaaaaaane!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Barbicane says with a smile on his face. “Pipe down, I’m headed your way. Oh, brought a real cutie with me too.”

“Hmm? Could it be, perhaps, your dear Cardia-chaaaaaaaaaaaan?”

Barbicane bristled before walking down the hall and turning a corner. I hear a loud thump on the bars. “Hey, hey! If my sweet angel were in London, do you really think I’d be spending my evening here? Come on!”

The loud voice laughs shrilly, like nails down a chalkboard, or perhaps a cat being stepped on repeatedly.

“Ohhhh, what, you wouldn’t want to share a date with meeeeeeee?”

“No way!” I heard Barbicane protesting. “Absolutely not! That would be the most un-lovey-dovey thing ever!”

My feet feel like they’re dragging a cement block as I turn the corner.

To be honest… I’m not exactly sure how to describe what I’m seeing.

I suppose the first thing to note would be his metallic smile gleaming in the dim light. Once you somehow manage to move past those, the next thing your eyes would lock onto would be his strange and intricate goggles… or, perhaps the many piercings on his face… or maybe his eclectic wardrobe, or maybe his absurdly long hair.

No, I can’t figure out what to focus on. It takes Barbicane’s friendly hand on my shoulder to bring me back to reality.

“Nemo, I’d like you to meet the magnificent Polly-chan! Polly-chan, I’ll save you from hearing him introduce himself—this is Nemo.”

“P… Polly…chan…” I find myself repeating.

Nope, leaving reality again.

Before my consciousness can leave my poor shell of a body, the jailed scientist suddenly leans forward so he’s at eye-level with me.

“Ohhh? And what about you makes you so magnificeeeent?”

Surprisingly, I straighten myself up and look directly at his teeth—face. Directly at his face.

“My name is Aronnax,” I say, speaking slowly so my voice sounds resolute. “Barbicane speaks highly of you, and he thinks that you might be able to assist me in my endeavors.”

“He spoke hiiiiiiiighly of me?!” Nemo suddenly leans back, striking a pose far too dramatic for the situation. “My, my, Impey Barbicane! If you keep on lavishing your rival with such praise, people will think you’ve gone soooooooooft!”

“Nemo… you hear praise even when I have none to give,” says Barbicane.

“But, ah… you said Aronnax?”

I pause. His voice is loud, but for some reason I like the way he says my name.

It’s far better than ‘Polly-chan’, anyway.

“Aronnax, like…”

He strikes another pose.

“The scientist who found the great Leviathaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan?!” 

L-Leviathan.

“I think that’s a bit too dramatic of a description…”

“A-ha-ha-haaaa! Don’t be so modest, it’s all those small-minded white coat-wearing self-proclaimed scientists at the Royal Society talked about for a week!”

“When you put it like that… I feel more ‘ashamed’ than ‘modest’.”

“Tch… one moooooooment!” Nemo whirls around and suddenly shoves his bed aside. Underneath it are stacked papers and books, and it’s rather obvious that they’ve been put there to hide wires and other confiscated materials. Still, I’m a little surprised that one of the books that he picks up and dusts off is mine. He opens it up with a dramatic flourish and thumbs through.

“But I was intelligent enough to appreciate your true work! The way you lovingly traced over each muscle, the way you evoked the natural movement of the creatures you studied…” he flips his hair back before slamming the cover of the book against the bars, making me jump. “Your artistry………… is an asset to the glooooooooooory of science! That is why I, Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemoooo, will happily listen to your requests!”

“For a moment, I thought you were going to compliment her,” Barbicane’s voice is deadpan.

“………”

“……. Ha…”

I can’t help it.

“Hahahaha!!”

Laughter bubbles up from my stomach, and I have to steady myself on one of the cell bars.

“H-Hey, Polly-chan…” Barbicane looks at me worriedly, but I shake my head, unable to wipe the smile off of my face.

It’s the first time since I’ve left Paris that I’ve had a good, honest laugh.

“Thank you!” I manage to choke out. “Thank you for…” I look at his triumphant pose and start laughing again. “Thank you for deeming me worthy!”

I wipe my eyes and stifle a final guffaw before straightening back up. I was worried for a moment that my laughter had offended him, but it looks like he isn’t fazed at all.

“Thank you,” I repeat, this time more seriously. “Those paintings did take a lot of work. It’s high praise coming from the creator of such a terrifying battleship.”

Nemo suddenly grabs the cell bars, looking unabashedly joyful. “Right? RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT?! Impeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!! She really is one of us!”

“Be careful, or you’ll give him a big head,” says Barbicane.

I smile wryly. “I suppose I just decided to give him the same sort of compliment he gave me. Now, to business?”

“Of cooooooourse!” Nemo drags his bed over to the bars and sits himself down on it, happily kicking his feet like an excited child.

I feel laughter building again, and I have to excuse myself.

“She wants a submarine,” Barbicane comes to my rescue. “A submarine capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean.”

“Aronnax has seen me taking to the skies, and yet she asks for me to descend to unknown deeeeepths? Hmmmm—that’s unexpected.”

“Perhaps I’m still looking for my Leviathan,” I say, but my smile falters. “No… in all honesty, there are many reasons why I would prefer a submarine over an airship.”

I look away for a moment before locking eyes… goggles… whatever. “But, doesn’t it make you the least bit curious? As an engineer?”

I’m immediately struck with two voices chorusing at once: “I’m/he’s not an engineer! I’m/he’s a scientist!” Though, one of the voices sounds more like “I’M NOT AN ENGINEEEEEEEEEER, IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’M A SCIENTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIST!”

Well, pardon me for the mistake!

“It does pique my SCIENTIFIC curiosity, though,” says Nemo. He rests his chin on his hand and goes quiet. For the first time since he began speaking, silence settles over the hall. It feels empty, somehow.

I shift uncomfortably before deciding to speak: “Do you think you can do it?”

Nemo furrows his brows and frowns, scoffing at me with a look that perfectly conveys just how offended he is by my question.

“Of coooooooooooourse I can do it!” he says, following his statement with a loud, indignant sniff. “It’s not my abilities that I’m questioning. There are many, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaany many things I’m looking forward to researching once I’m released!”

“Oh…” I’m somewhat surprised to find myself feeling disappointed instead of relieved. Most people would probably be grateful that someone like him wasn’t interested.

Barbicane nudges me, and when I look up at him he gives me a wink. I narrow my eyes at him in response, and he gestures towards the contemplating scientist.

“Wow, Polly-chan, what a disappointing development! And after you worked up your courage to encounter the scientist who almost brought Britain to its knees!” Impey sighs dramatically.

My eyes widen in realization.

“Y… Yes!” I quickly nod. “Such a raw demonstration of science! It made me want to, uh…”

I’m suddenly very aware of how terrible I am at this.

“It made me dream that maybe, someday, uh…”

“Maybe, someday… you could explore places that have never been seen by human eyes! Right, Polly-chan?”

I was thinking more along the lines of ‘it made me regret how much power mankind had harnessed’, but I have a feeling what Impey was saying would be better received.

But, his words drag my dreams back into the open. I suddenly look up at him with a bright smile.

“Yes! Thank you, Barbicane!”

Barbicane’s words help me remember why I had come here in the first place. I realize that I don’t have to embellish anything, I can truly speak from the heart.

“When I saw the submersible that your technology helped build, I felt a longing inside of me that I had never felt before.”

Barbicane looks surprised, and I see a tint of red touch his cheeks. Nemo, too, looks at me curiously.

“Finding that giant cephalopod washed up on the beach was an incredible stroke of luck. It piqued the interest of those who viewed these marvels of nature as mere fantasy! Seeing that submersible made me realize that it doesn’t have to end there.”

I grab the cell bars and lean in close, my heart pounding. 

“There’s an entire world out there just waiting for me- for us- for science itself! I want to see it all, I want to feel just how small we are in that deep blue. We can build magnificent things, terrifying things, we can sail the skies and look down on the earth as gods—”

Barbicane chokes at my words. Am I taking it too far? Oh, well, it’s too late for me to stop now. I don’t want to stop.

“… But… we’re still so small. I want a glimpse of what we have haven’t attained, what we never can attain.”

When I look back at Nemo, he has a smile so wide it looks like the top half of his head is about to roll off.

“What we can never attain?” his shoulders begin to shake, and soon the room is resonating with his booming laugh.

“Now I see… now I seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Now I see why you need meeeee!!” he leaps off of his bed and slams his hands on top of mine, bringing his face in close to mine. I’m suddenly very, very aware of the cell bars separating us.

“You feel hopeless and small, a tiny speck in a frothing sea of unenlightened peooooooooooons! Well, worry noooooooooooooo mooooooooore! Nothing is impossible for meeeeeeeeeeeeee! I will create a ship dedicated to discovery, I will show the depths to the woooooooooorld! What they once regarded as mere fantasy, they will see—they will see—I will force their eyes open to wooooooonders!”

He suddenly jumps back and stands up straight. With a dramatic flourish he leans back and extends his hand towards me.

“Come with me, disciple of naaaaaaaaaaaatural scieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenceeeeeeeee!!”

My heart is pounding. As strange as it is to say, Nemo is mesmerizing. I feel like I’m being drawn into his madness, and it’s frightening, but at the same time I feel myself reaching out towards him.

The bars stop me.

It’s like the structure of society itself is stopping me.

I lean my head against the bars and laugh, tears beginning to blur my vision. Is it sadness, joy, or a sudden sheepishness filling my chest?

I happen to glance over at Barbicane as I wipe my eyes. He looks concerned, to say the least. He probably wasn’t expecting Nemo to get so riled up. I didn’t expect myself to get so riled up, either.

But I feel a tap on the top of my head and look up.

Nemo’s expression is calmer, though he still looks giddy with excitement.

“Since we can’t shaaaaaaake on it~”

He pulls off one of his gloves and tosses it over his shoulder before undoing some of the bindings on his hand. I’m only mildly surprised to see the metal glint of his fingernails, the same golden sheen as the metal decorating his face. He raises his pinky through the bars with a smile.

“Pinky Pro—mise—?”

My cheeks begin to hurt from the smile on my face.

“Yes!”

I remove one of my own gloves and entwine our little fingers.

“Once you’re released, we’ll have a marvelous adventure together!”

“Mm-hmm! It’s a proooomise ♡!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Professor Pauline Aronnax is based off of Professor Pierre Aronnax, the main character and narrator of Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"-- the same story that Nemo is from.  
> Pierre Aronnax is a marine biologist who is asked to help find a mysterious sea monster that's attacking ships. Well, he finds it, and it turns out to be a submarine built by the mysterious Captain Nemo, and it's called... the Nautilus.
> 
> This story is post-Finis Route, as I said in the tags, but it also takes place in 1855-- about a year and a half after the second fandisk, Silver Miracles (being released in English in 2019 as "Wintertide Miracles"). Though there will be some references to events in there, this work can be enjoyed without that knowledge.  
> Impey Barbicane was also approached by Queen Victoria to make a submersible for England, like in Future Blessings. However, Impey and Cardia are not in an established relationship (yet). And, obviously, Nemo is still alive. Thank you, Finis Route.


	2. Conseil, Disaster, and Headlights!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After settling in the mansion, Aronnax approaches Nemo again... and a friend from Paris arrives to deliver some terrible news.  
> Also, Sisi. Sisi is a good dog.

Barbicane keeps on glancing at me as we exit Buckingham Palace. As we step into the sunlight, I sigh deeply and turn to him.

“Thank you, Barbicane. That went better than I could have imagined.”

“Y-You think so?” he tilts his head. “I mean, yeah, I guess it did, but…” He rubs the back of his head and laughs sheepishly. “I wasn’t expecting you to suddenly have an outburst like that… it was a little…”

I smile.

“In retrospect, it probably was unnerving. I apologize for worrying you, Barbicane.”

“Unnerving? That’s just the beginning of it…” Barbicane’s laugh sounds strained.

“I must admit, I was worried at first,” I say.

“Y-You mean you aren’t worried even more now?” says Barbicane. “Because I am. ‘Looking down on the city as gods’?! Yeesh, that was some scary stuff!”

I can’t stop myself from smiling. “You don’t have to worry about that from me. I wouldn’t be able to look down on the city at all, I’d be too busy screaming to get back down on the ground. I’m terrified of heights.”

“Wait, really?” Barbicane raises an eyebrow but he quickly shakes his head. “Well, that’s a small comfort, at least.”

I put a hand to my chin in thought. “How long until Nemo is released?”

Barbicane’s cloudy look quickly dissipates. “In a little over two weeks! My princess is coming to London to celebrate it, too! Oh, it’ll be so wonderful to see her again, my starry light, my angel~!”

“You’re setting your expectations quite high, Barbicane,” I reply.

“Of course!” Barbicane clasps his hands and looks heavenward. “It’s been too long since Cardia-chan has had my cooking, and we’ll all be able to watch a fireworks festival together!” He looks at me with a wide grin and winks. “You’re invited too, of course, Polly-chan.”

“P… Polly-chan…” I repeat in exasperation. “Well, two weeks will give me enough time to transfer my funds to London and find a discreet location for construction.”

“Mm-hmm! You can stay at the mansion in the meantime,” says Barbicane. “Don’t want to spend science money on something like lodging, right?”

“Barbicane…” my voice trails off.

“Hey, don’t give me that look! My intentions are pure, my heart belongs to my beloved Car–”

“It isn’t that,” I interrupt him before he can give another declaration of love. “I’m simply… touched. You’re a very kind person, Impey Barbicane. Not just today, but even at the World’s Fair I could see it. You are…” I smile. “You are the embodiment of hopes and dreams. I’m grateful that science has someone like you on its side. Thank you.”

Barbicane’s mouth is slack as he stares at me for a good ten seconds.

Then, he sniffs before suddenly pumping his fist excitedly. “You’re right!!! I will do whatever it takes to make everyone’s dreams come true! Yours, Nemo’s, Cardia-chan’s… and mine! I will make it to the moon for everyone, and for the old man too! I will!”

He looks so happy.

I wish I knew half of what he was talking about.  
\-----

The lodgings given to me are so luxurious that it honestly makes me somewhat uncomfortable. My Parisian apartment aren’t spartan by any means, but this place is so… indulgent. The antiques lining the shelves are so delicate and pretty, and the paintings are so elegant that I find myself sometimes pretending that I’m a grand duchess.

A grand duchess who’s converted one of the spare drawing rooms into a drafting room with diagrams, maps, and designs pinned to the walls, but we all have our eccentricities.

Another indulgence is Impey’s cooking. After dining alone for so long, he’s ecstatic to cook more. He’s tried to make lunches for Nemo, but the guards always find a way of confiscating them. After eating his cooking, I find that I can’t blame them.

As for Nemo, I had been making a habit of following Impey to visit him. However, I soon found myself wanting to see him by myself.

Barbicane doesn’t handle the situation very delicately.

“Oh-ho?” he grins at me from the kitchen. “Going to Buckingham early today, are you? You’re so eager, fine, fine… give me a minute, okay?”

“Actually, Barbicane, I was hoping to visit Nemo on my own today,” I say.

Barbicane looks surprised for a moment, then the grin on his face widens. “Really, Polly-chan? Hoping for a jailside date? Though I… can’t honestly say I agree with your taste… I will support you 100%!”

“I– I’m sorry?” I stutter.

“Yeah! Stay right there, I’m going to pack up a super-lovey picnic for you!”

“S-Super-lovey… wait… pardon me?!” I almost drop my papers when I realize what he’s talking about. “Barbicane, you’re very much mistaken! I was hoping to discuss potentials for the ship’s interior with him, that’s all!”

Barbicane leans against the doorway, that damned grin still on his face. “And that’s why you want to see him by yourself, huh? What are you plotting to do in that submarine, huh?”

“B-Barbicane, be serious! It’s difficult for me to discuss the plans with him in your presence because he gets so excited about talking with you!”

“Oh, so you’re jealous when his eyes aren’t on you, huh?” His grin is so wide that I can see his fangs.

“I am not jealous, I am a scientist who wishes to discuss scientific things with a fellow scientist!” as I grab the doorknob and prepare to slam the door, I add: “Scientifically!”

Slam.

Admittedly, I could have handled that better. My response is certain to cement in Barbicane’s mind the preposterous idea that I have amorous feelings towards Nemo.

It’s not that I’m opposed because of the man himself. On the contrary, when I’m in a position to find a romantic partner, I hope I find someone as intelligent and as passionate about knowledge as he is.

But that’s not important right now, and Barbicane’s goadings will do nothing more than distract me from my goal. I’m sure that if Nemo caught wind of the exchange, he would feel the same way.

As I enter Buckingham Palace, though, I can feel my chest tighten. Surely, after all that, it’s just the excitement of discussing our plans. I’m certain that once I hear that screeching, booming voice of his, I’ll be certain that my feelings are no more than awe and respect.

“PAAAAAAAAAAAULIIIIIIIIIIIINE….. AAAAAAAAAAAAAARONNAAAAAAAAAAAAAX—!!!”

I smile as I approach the bars.

“Hmmm? You’re rather early today… and you’re alone, at that!” Nemo crosses his arms and nods. “I see, I see! That must mean…”

For a moment, I’m afraid he’ll come to the same conclusion as Barbicane.

My heart jumps when he suddenly looks up at me with a wide smile. “That must mean that you can’t poooooooooooossibly contain your excitement about our upcoming expedition!”

I find my smile matching his. “Yes, you’re exactly right! I was looking over your preliminary sketches last night and I got so excited that I couldn’t sleep!”

“It’s not as large or grand as the Nautilus, of course…” Nemo looks a little disappointed. “But for the first of its kind, it will certainly be splendid!”

“I don’t need anything like the Nautilus…” I speak before I realize what I’m saying. “I was in Paris during the events, but I saw the stories. The entire sky was black with its hull. Such a display of strength… and terror…”

I see Nemo leaning in. Clearly, he’s eating up my words. The fact that they come from a place of fear probably doesn’t even occur to him.

I shiver, and he sighs with an air of nostalgia one usually saves for childhood Christmases.

“’Someone like you wouldn’t need to fear the Nautilus’… is what I want to say,” says Nemo. “But, great minds like Victor Frankenstein and Impey Barbicane were in London. Aaahhhh…” he leans back and puts a hand to his forehead. “Humanity can breathe a sigh of relief! That the light of friendship and enlightenment had the grace to shine on me before such briiiiiiiiiiiiilliant minds were laid to waste!”

“And soon you’ll be free to pursue science again,” I say. “Though it might not be as grand as the Nautilus, I’m sure it will still be wonderful.”

Nemo giggles. “If I’m the one to create it, it assuredly will be! And, with you there, too…” He wraps his fingers around the bars. “Just think of what will be discovered!”

I feel my chest tighten again- certainly out of comradery and excitement. Yes, certainly… just that.

“Professor Aronnax!”

Nemo and I look up to see a young man round the corner. He looks at me breathlessly and, realizing that I was in fact in front of him, he smiles. 

“Oh, Professor, I’m so grateful to have found you!”

“Conseil!”

Standing in front of me is my assistant, companion, and housekeeper. Despite that being the case, I must admit that I’m surprised to see him in front of me right now.

He runs forward and hugs me tight. I pat him reassuringly on the back.

“You just ran off without saying a word. It was so hard to find you!”

I hear a long sigh from the cell and turn to see Nemo laying upside down on his bed staring at a book he’s propped up. Clearly he had enjoyed being the center of attention, and found himself rather bored with Conseil’s appearance. It’s pretty pitiful. 

“Conseil,” I put my hand on my friend’s shoulder. “You needn’t have been concerned! This is Nemo, we’re in the middle of preparing for the greatest expedition I’ve been on yet.”

Nemo looks down (up?) from the book and peers upside-down at Conseil.

“An expedition? But you said when you became a professor that you’d… wait…” he furrows his eyebrows. “Nemo… that name sounds so familiar.”

“Ahh~” Nemo lifts a finger. “Nautilus~”

“Ah, of course, the Nautilus,” Conseil says with a nod.

I take a breath, preparing myself.

“Wait—” he repeats. “The Nautilus?!”

It takes a lot to shake Conseil, but once it happens—

“Professor Aronnax!!” Conseil exclaims. “If you were not standing in front of me at this moment, I wouldn’t believe it! Going on an expedition is one thing, but to have the architect of that abomination as your chaperone?! Have you lost all sense?!”

I sigh.

“I consider myself a rather level-headed fellow, but this is beyond my limit! Professor, what happened?”

“I… I got a dream, that’s all,” I say.

“A dream?” Conseil repeats.

“Yes. It’s not as grand as going to the moon, but…” I trail off, and Nemo fills the silence with a knowing giggle.

“W-Well, Professor, it pains me to say this, but there’s another reason I’ve worked so hard to find you.”

Conseil looks nervously in Nemo’s direction, but I shake my head and gesture for him to continue.

Conseil took a deep breath, and I could tell it pained him greatly to speak: “When you requested for your funds to be transferred to the Bank of England, well… Professor, your account had already been emptied.”

It feels like I’ve been splashed with cold water, and I take a step back towards the bars.

“Emptied…?”

I can almost physically feel my dream slipping out of my grasp.

“Yes, it was shortly after you left,” said Conseil. “The bank received confirmation that it was you who made the request, so… it was quite shocking.”

He can’t look at me right now, his eyes are cast downward.

“I’m sorry, Professor, but your dream might have to wait a little longer. Please, come back to Paris. The two of us can work together to figure out what happened. Then, maybe, you can pursue this new dream of yours the right way.”

“No…” I’m back against the cells now, trying desperately to cling to whatever new reality I had made for myself. “Conseil, I can’t.”

“Believe me, seeing you hurt like this, it pains me so much,” says Conseil. “The sooner this is taken care of, the sooner you can—”

“I made a promise!” the sound of my own voice shocks myself—and Conseil, too, given his stunned silence.

“Professor Aronnax…” Conseil shakes his head and closes his eyes. “I’m not sure what else to say. I’m not asking you to break any promises.”

I swallow and take a deep breath. Conseil is right, of course. Lashing out at a friend will get me nowhere. I rub my forehead, trying to think.

It’s at that moment I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to look at Nemo, who still has a smile on his face.

“You have time,” he says in a lilt. “I have one last week in here, after all.”

He shrugs and tosses his hair back. “Reality has a habit of raising obstacles to those it deems worthy of changing hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistory!”

I still feel gutted despite his encouraging words.

“Nemo… I don’t know why I feel this way, but…” I look into the goggles that hide his true expressions. “But I feel like if I go back to Paris now, I won’t ever come back.”

I look down at my hands and laugh bitterly. “There’s no reason for this anxiety, and yet I find myself with this irrational fear, like you’ll disappear out of my life.”

Conseil looks stunned. He puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles at me, trying to offer comfort. “I know you’re thinking about a lot right now, Professor, but please don’t let baseless worries cloud your thoughts. There’s no way he would just disappear. Isn’t that right, Mr. Nemo?”

“Mmm… ‘Mister’ just won’t do! ‘Professor’ or ‘sensei’ would be much better, don’t you think?”

Conseil just stares at Nemo until the latter laughs off the silence.

“I suppose there’s no other way then,” I say. “Very well. Conseil, please alert the bank that I will be returning to Paris tomorrow. The sooner we can clear this mess up, the sooner we can continue with the submarine.”

“S… Submarine…” Conseil trails off.

“Conseil,” I repeat.

“Yes, Professor!” he glances worriedly at Nemo before turning on his heels and briskly walking out. Once his footsteps fade, I look at Nemo with a serious expression.

“I’m sorry you had to see me behave that way,” I say. “It’s honestly very embarrassing. I’m usually able to have a firmer grasp on my own emotions.”

Nemo shakes his head and gives a shrug. “Emotions are tricky thiiiiiiiiiings. Disappointment can be a worthy adversary for the best of us!” He grins a mouthful of metal. “Besides, you’re a very passionate person, Polly-chan~.”

I feel my face reddening.

“But still, letting my worries get the best of me like that… I lashed out at Conseil, too. I’ll have to apologize to him later. Nemo, I owe you an apology as well.”

Nemo tilts his head.

“I’ll figure out what’s happening as quickly as I can,” I say. “In the meantime, I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but…”

I stare down at the floor.

“You won’t disappear… will you? I want to see you again. I want to discuss science with you. I want to discover things that no man has ever seen… with you. So please, don’t vanish like some kind of unattainable dream.”

Nemo just laughs, quiet at first but soon it’s filling the halls and echoing off of the metal bars. I have to cover my ears.

“Please!” he exclaims. “I am Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemoooooooooo! As long as there is science, you will aaaaaaaalways be able to find me!”

He slumps back over, a dazed smile on his face. “Besides, I can’t leave until I’ve had my fill of Impey Barbicane’s cooking. I’ve heard fantastic things about it, you know~.”

—

My cheeks are burning as I walk away from Nemo’s cell. Blood is pounding in my ears. How could this have happened? I was so close, and now…

Once I exit the tunnels under Buckingham Palace, I duck into a corner and put my face in my hands.

I’m so ashamed of these tears, but I can’t stop them. If someone heard my situation, they’d be understanding: “Of course you’re crying, it’s horrible that your money is gone!”

But that’s not why I’m crying. It makes no sense!

I’m crying because I have to leave Steel London. I just can’t shake this fear that if I leave, something will keep me away. Something will hold me back, and I will be sucked into my mediocre life forever.

I’ll never be able to meet great minds like Barbicane and Nemo again, minds who treat me as an equal, an accomplice.

Nemo… him especially.

It’s so strange, but I know I would miss the sound of his cacophonic voice, crying out bold declarations of science, laughing at his own genius, taking himself so seriously that it’s farcical.

I try to slow my breathing, but it just comes out as a struggled gasp.

There will be no one like him back at Paris.

No, I wouldn’t want anyone like him, anyway.

I hiccup in surprise when a bark interrupts my thoughts.

I wipe my eyes on the back of my glove and look down to see the most dapper little dog I have ever seen. He’s in a finely-crafted top hat and tie and is wiggling his little legs at me in the most endearing manner… ah, his legs.

I kneel down to take a closer look. It looks like a very skilled craftsman has made a metallic leg to replace one that had been lost.

“Hello there, little sir,” I try to sound as sweet as possible despite my hoarse voice. I kneel down and hold out my hand for him to sniff. He just barks and wiggles more.

“Sisi, there you are!” I hear a gentle voice and look up to see a man in a white coat running over. He has a kind smile. “I’m sorry, he’s usually much better behaved.”

I stand back up and shake my head, trying to hide my red face. “Oh, it’s fine, he’s such a handsome little gentleman.”

“Ah…”

He clearly has noticed that I’ve been crying. His eyes go wide and he stutters out another apology.

“A-Are you all right?”

“Hm? Oh!” I straighten myself up and give him a weak smile. “Yes, my apologies. I’m afraid I just let my emotions get the best of me. Excuse me.”

I attempt to walk by, but Sisi hops up and down and barks.

“I don’t think he likes me very much,” I laugh.

“He’s very peculiar about who he warms up to, please don’t take offense,” says the young man. “Sisi, come on.”

Sisi looks up at his companion and grumbles.

“I’m sorry,” the young man apologizes again. “Where are you headed? I can walk you there.”

It looks like Sisi won’t take no for an answer, so I laugh, grateful for the distraction.

As we walk, the silence creeps over, broken only by the pitter-patter of Sisi’s short legs.

“My name is Victor Frankenstein,” the young man finally says. “I have a clinic in one of the lower sections of London.”

“Victor Frankenstein?” I repeat. “Oh, I’ve heard about you!”

I smile brightly. “Supposedly, you’re one of the few good things that ever came out of the Royal Society.”

“T-That’s a bit much,” Frankenstein laughs nervously. “Who told you that?”

I laugh. “Why, none other than your eternal rival, of course!”

The color drains from Frankenstein’s face so quickly that I’m afraid he might faint.

“Are you all right?!”

Sisi begins to whine at Frankenstein, but he quickly turns and begins to growl in the direction of another walkway.

“Oh, Fran!” I look up to see Barbicane waving at us. “Sisi, good to see you too!”

Sisi clearly wants nothing to do with Barbicane, as he haughtily trots behind Fran and myself.

“So cold…” says Barbicane, a pout on his face. “Anyway… Fran? Fran? Huh, what’s gotten into him?”

“I’m not sure. All I did was…” I pause to laugh. “All I did was mention his ‘eternal rival’!”

“Ah.” Barbicane stares. “Yeeaaahhh, Polly-chan, about that…”

“It’s a bit one-sided…” Frankenstein slowly speaks. “Um, we didn’t really speak much in the Royal Society, and…”

“More like you tried to avoid him altogether, right Fran?”

Frankenstein blushes. “You don’t have to be so blunt, Impey.”

Barbicane just flashes another one of his smiles.

“We’ve spoken a little more since he’s been imprisoned,” said Fran. “But it’s still rather difficult.”

I smile at Frankenstein. “He does have a big personality, doesn’t he?”

Frankenstein looks at me. “Big personality…? I… I suppose that’s one way to put it.”

“Mm, Polly-chan’s biased,” Impey says with a laugh. “She made a super love-love connection with the creep!” He points his finger at me like it’s a gun and ‘fires’.

“Honestly, Barbicane!” I shoot him a glare. “We’re both professional scientists!”

“Sometimes it’s best just to ignore him,” Frankenstein says quietly, though even as he says that he is shifting away from me. Honestly, Barbicane!

Barbicane’s expression suddenly turns serious. “Oh! That reminds me, did the little guy ever find you, Polly-chan?”

“The little guy? Are you talking about Conseil? Yes, he found me…” I sigh.

“Huh? What happened?” Barbicane took a step towards me.

“Let’s go back to the mansion, I’ll tell you on the way.”

Both Frankenstein and Barbicane are excellent listeners, and even Sisi is quiet so I can speak. By the time I finish, we’re at the gates of the mansion.

“Do they have any idea what might have happened to your account?” asks Frankenstein.

“Conseil said that the bank thought that I was the one who made the withdrawal, so it might have been as innocent as an error,” I reply.

“A very grave error,” says Frankenstein.

“I doubt that it’s an error.”

The three of us look up to see Conseil walking towards us.

“This isn’t the misplacement of a few francs, this is the Professor’s entire account being emptied. As far as I saw, only her account was the one affected. Pardon my boldness, but I believe that she was deliberately targeted.”

“Victor Frankenstein, Impey Barbicane, please allow me to introduce my closest companion and assistant, Conseil,” I say.

Conseil smiles politely in their direction and gives a nod of his head. “Thank you both for looking after the Professor for me. I will always be grateful to you.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” says Frankenstein.

Conseil turns to me. “Professor, I’ve sent word ahead as you have asked. However, we will likely arrive in Paris before the letter does. I have chartered an airship for us and prepared your medicine for you, so you will be able to sleep during the flight. In an emergency like this, I feel that the train will be too late.”

“An airship? Isn’t that a bit extravagant? The train won’t take much longer…”

Conseil smiles sadly. “It will be a small price for me to pay if it gets you back to Paris safely, Professor.”

I frown and look towards Barbicane and Frankenstein. “I’ll come inside for a little bit. Would you mind going on ahead?”

“Oh, of course!” sensing the tense atmosphere, Frankenstein opens the gate. When Barbicane hesitates, Frankenstein grabs ahold of his sleeve and ushers him inside.

Conseil looks at me, waiting for me to speak.

“Conseil…” I close my eyes. “First of all, I want to apologize about the way I behaved at the Palace. I’m afraid emotions have been running high since I left the University, and the reality of it all came crashing down around me.”

Conseil shakes his head. “Of course, Professor. Anyone would be tired after such an exciting time, and then to have such bad news suddenly flung on them…”

“Thank you. However… Conseil, I want to make sure that you understand. I’m only returning to Paris to get this bank situation sorted out. Once that’s taken care of, I’ll be coming back to Steel London.”

Conseil looks at me with a steely gaze, but eventually his posture softens. “I understand, Professor. Please believe me when I tell you… I just want you to be happy.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and give it a gentle squeeze. “I do believe you, Conseil. You’ve always been there for me. You’re my greatest friend, and I love you dearly for it.”

Conseil puts his hand over mine. “I’ll always be by your side, Professor.” He takes a deep breath. “Well then, you should get to bed early. The sooner we’re on that airship, the sooner you will be able to return here, right?”

I embrace him tightly. “Thank you for understanding.”

I feel Conseil laugh under me. “I don’t understand, not really. But I trust you… and that’s all I need.”

It’s a quiet dinner at the mansion, the only one who seems at ease is Sisi. It isn’t long before I excuse myself and retreat to my bedroom.

This will be the last night that I’m able to reign as grand duchess for some time. I let my hair fall loose around my shoulders and dress in robes truly above my station. Even with Barbicane’s permission, I still feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t. 

“I’ll be back soon,” I keep on saying to myself.

As I prepare to climb into bed, however, a bright light fills my window. I put my glasses back on and head to the window to peer outside.

There’s an automobile out there, and a tall man standing in the headlights is staring directly at my window.

A part of me knows that I should call Conseil or Barbicane, but I find myself giving into my impulses once more. I quickly put on a pair of slippers and run outside, clutching my robes close to me.

I have never seen this man before. He’s dressed elegantly and carries a cane, its serpentine head glinting at me in the automobile lights.

I swallow.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

“Yes,” replies the sophisticated man. “If you don’t want to leave Steel London, if you want to find the freedom you seek, then…” he walks to the side of the automobile and opens the door. “Then come with me. I will take you back to Nemo.”

I hesitate only for a second, and I don’t even whisper an apology as I climb inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conseil is another character from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". He is a devoted valet to Pierre Aronnax, even willingly throwing himself into the sea to follow his master after he's thrown overboard. That is how he also ends up on the Nautilus.


	3. Strange Sponsors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aronnax meets a fellow professor who has taken a special interest in her submarine proposal.

“I normally don’t get into vehicles with strangers.”

The lights are increasing in number as we ride from the mansions and estates of the rich to the city streets.

“It might not have been so out of character for you a few years ago, Professor Aronnax. Or are the rumors I’ve heard of the fearless explorer just rumors?”

I smile wryly.

“I was an explorer, yes, but hardly fearless. I always like to think that I had a good head on my shoulders back then.”

I narrow my eyes.

“But I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Mister…” 

“My name is Jimmy A. Aleister,” says the driver.

“Not Professor Aleister?” I lean forward in my seat. “The educator with classes so popular that the students devised a lottery system for enrollment?

This time it’s Aleister’s turn to smile wryly.

“Sometimes the students would take it to extremes, but I have a feeling a great deal of it had to do with the subjects I would be teaching.”

“I doubt it,” I reply. “I’ve heard that there’s practically nothing that your pupils can’t achieve. Is that how you know Nemo? Was he one of your students?”

Aleister chuckles lightly. “No, not quite. We… collaborated on something together.”

I close my eyes. “Don’t tell me. I’m not sure I could handle it.”

“The Nautilus was a scientific breakthrough, with technology that could change the world.”

Aleister step on the gas, and my eyes snap back open.

“I had no idea that it would be used for something so terrible. Isaac Beckford’s legacy had blinded us to his true motives, and Nemo loved the man dearly.”

“He’s talked about Beckford a lot,” I say. I refrain from mentioning that ‘talking’ is more like ‘sobbing and yelling’. I’ve gotten into the habit of carrying at least one spare kerchief whenever I visit the jail. “So, that explains how you know Nemo. But, how did you hear about my situation?”

“Your assistant isn’t very subtle,” says Aleister.

I nod, unable to deny that.

“Besides, it’s difficult to ignore a lady when she’s weeping in an alley,” he continues.

I flush and look away. “You saw that? I thought I was hidden.”

“It’s impossible to hide in Steel London.”

We pull to a stop outside Buckingham Palace a little before midnight. The guards begin to approach us, but when the see the driver, they retreat back to their posts. Aleister walks around and opens the door for me.

“Thank you,” I say as I climb out. Then, I look at him and repeat it. “I mean it. The fact that I have the support of Professor Aleister… well, I can hardly believe it. You must truly love science.”

Aleister looks towards the palace. “I place a high value on knowledge. However, my intentions aren’t entirely altruistic. In the end, whether you can stay in Steel London or not relies on Nemo’s cooperation.”

I look up at him for further explanation, but he simply shuts the car door and begins to head towards the dungeons. I’m surprised that he doesn’t go through the same entrance that Barbicane and I use.

He takes me down a dark, narrow corridor, completely bypassing the guards’ checkpoints that consume so much time. It isn’t long before I’m on that familiar hallway.

We only take a few steps in before we hear a noise so loud that it makes the bars rattle.

“What was that?!” I look around for the source.

“Mm…” Aleister sighs. “Come on, let’s wake him up.”

“Wait, are you saying–?!”

Sure enough, the awful noise repeats itself. Aleister and I turn the corner and approach Nemo’s cell. 

He’s laying flat on his back, his arms and legs sprawled out in so many odd angles that he looks like a dead spider. His goggles are hanging around his neck, but his eyes are obscured by a magnificently long braid that he has pinned to his head. With the privacy of a solitary dungeon, his usual garb is carefully hanging next to his bed, leaving him in an undershirt and the most ridiculous pajama bottoms I have ever looked upon: purple and plaid. The entire scene is comedic, and yet I feel guilty for catching him in such a vulnerable state.

And then he snores again.

After the noise dies down, Aleister politely clears his throat and speaks: “Nemo-kun.”

Nemo immediately springs up like a wind-up doll.

“Aleister!” He pushes his goggles on as his braid slides down and falls across his shoulders. He flicks it behind his back before standing up and doing a grasshopper leap for the bars.

How can he have so much energy after being woken up in the middle of the night…?

This time, Nemo’s greeting is more typical for him: “Aleeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiister!! You’re here!”

“It’s been awhile, Nemo-kun. How have you been?” Aleister sounds polite and even, and I can’t help but smile at the two of them.

Nemo sniffs. “It’s been horrible, Aleister! They don’t let me do aaaaaaaaaaaany experimenting! I’m lucky if they give me writing materials!”

I look for my handkerchief, only to realize that I don’t have one in my robes.

Nemo looks over like he hadn’t noticed me at first. He then looks back at Aleister and furrows his eyebrows like he’s only now trying to figure out why we’re there in the middle of the night.

“I apologize for our sudden appearance, Nemo-kun, but I wanted to approach you before Aronnax was forced to go back to Paris,” says Aleister. “To get right to the point: I want to fund your transatlantic submarine.”

“What?!” both Nemo and I cry out, but it’s no surprise that Nemo’s voice is the only one heard.

“Really, Professor Aleister? Y-You want to fund our project?” I can’t believe the words that I’m speaking.

“Completely,” replies Aleister.

Nemo is silent. I think he must have short-circuited after his initial outburst.

“I will provide the funding, the supplies, the manpower, and even a base for the construction to be completed,” Aleister continues.

Nemo is still silent, so Aleister turns to me and continues, “I know it isn’t as useful as getting your bank funds returned, but I hope you might be able to delay your return to Paris under these circumstances.”

“Of course!” I nod. “I can send Conseil back on his own, I know he’ll be able to assist in the investigation in my stead. There’s no way I can turn this down! I mean, of course, I’m not really the one who will be building it, so it isn’t up to me…”

Both of us look at Nemo.

At this point I’m not sure if he’s even breathing.

I shake my head before looking back to Aleister. “While he’s processing these events, I do have a question for you, Professor.”

Aleister nods.

“You mentioned before that your help wasn’t altruistic. If not for the pursuit of science, why do you want this submarine built?”

Aleister doesn’t miss a beat. “Once your expedition is complete and you return to Britain, I want the submarine for my own purposes.” He smiles warmly. “I know I may not look like the type, but I do have some expeditions of my own planned. Nothing as great as a transatlantic journey, but… smaller dreams are still dreams.” He takes a breath. “Is that suitable for you, Nemo-kun?”

Silence.

“Nemo-kun.” Aleister repeats himself.

Nemo gives a sudden jolt before sniffing loudly. “A… Aaaa….”

Oh dear, and me without my handkerchief.

“A—–leiiiiiiii—–steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!!!!!” Nemo begins sobbing, tears pouring out from under his goggles. “Such… such a devoted heeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrttt! A true man, a true gentleman of sciiiiiiiieeeennnnnnnnnncceee!!”

He wipes his eyes on his undershirt, struggling to breathe through his sobs.

“I have…. I simply have no woooooooooooooooooooooords! Of course, of course I’ll accept your terms!”

He takes a breath.

“But.”

He swallows. “I have to finish my sentence first. I have to stay here.”

Aleister nods. “I understand. Upon your triumphant return…”

“I’ll have to take my place in the sunliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!” he grins. “It’d be hard to do that as an outlaw.”

“You’re a good man, Nemo-kun,” says Aleister. “I have faith that you will have no trouble building this for me.”

“Not at all, nooooooooooooooot at alllllllllllllll!” Nemo waves away the notion like it’s a fly.

“Professor Aleister…” I look at the man standing next to me. “I truly don’t know what to say.”

Aleister smirks. “Say that you’ll assist him in building a submarine that could live up to the Nautilus’ potential. Something that will be as great of a breakthrough.”

I nod, surprised to find my own eyes misty. “I’ll help however I can!”

“Good,” says Aleister. “Then rest easy knowing that the fruits of your labors will bring a new dawn to Steel London after your voyage is complete.”

I nod, sniffing.

“I’ll put the first deposit of your stipend into your Bank of England account, Aronnax. It should be enough to get you some proper lodgings if you tire of your company.”

I laugh. “I can’t possibly leave now, we have too much planned for next week. You should join us, Professor! I know that Barbicane will be thrilled to meet someone as devoted to science as you are.”

“I’m afraid I must pass,” says Aleister. “Though I will miss the opportunity to see Cardia-kun again.”

“Is it perhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaps… that you don’t want to encounter her little brooooooother?” Nemo tilts his head.

“Tactful as always, Nemo-kun,” says Aleister. “I suppose I should mention to you that I want this patronage to be anonymous.”

“Of couuuuuurse, it goes without saying!” Nemo says with a shrill laugh. “Still, it is a shame.” His smile disappears. “For you to do something this magnificent in the name of research… it is a shame that you don’t want credit.”

Aleister shakes his head. “Don’t forget that I’ll have the submarine after her maiden voyage. The academic opportunities opened up to me with it in my possession will be more than reward enough. The fact that it helps you, Nemo-kun… is a pleasant bonus.”

Nemo begins sniffling again and wails: “You are a saaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiint, Aleisteeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!! I will never, ever forgeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet this!!” The front of his undershirt is soaked, and he wrings it out pathetically. 

“Nemo, come here,” I say. Like an obedient child, he leans in against the bars and I gently wipe his cheek with the hem of my robe. He gives me a muffled ‘thank you’ before standing back up straight- well, as straight as usual.

Aleister clears his throat. “I will have an airship waiting for you at your release. Of course, I fully intend to give you a few days to celebrate your newfound freedom before your departure. For now, though… Aronnax, it would be best if we depart.”

“You’re right,” I say, though I’m afraid I cannot stop myself from sounding disappointed.

“Fwee hee hee!” I jump as Nemo suddenly reaches his finger through the bars and pokes me in the forehead. I didn’t realize that I was standing so close, and I take a step back, my face flushed.

“You have to tell Impeeeeey that I want him to bake a cheesecake for the release party, okaaaaaaay? Not too sweet, with grapefruit! The acidity will be so re-fresh-iiiiing!!”

I nod.

“Besiiiiiiides…” he continues. “The next time you come, I’ll have an even more impressive design ready! With Aleister’s funding, the only limits I have are dictated by physics!”

This makes me smile. “I can’t wait to see it!”

Nemo gives an enthusiastic thumbs up, which he continues to hold as Aleister and I make our exit. Before we depart, however, the loud rumbles of Nemo’s snoring can be heard once more.

—

Aleister and I are silent as we drive back. There are so many things I need to say, but the noise of the automobile is so sweet that I find myself closing my eyes.

“Aronnax,” Aleister’s voice makes me sit up straight.

“I apologize,” I say. “A lot has happened tonight, I’m afraid I forgot myself.”

Aleister smiles. “You have a habit of apologizing whenever you leave Nemo-kun.”

My face reddens. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just as I said,” says Aleister. “You say things like ‘you forget yourself’ or ‘you let your emotions better you’. It just made me wonder- if you’re able to act unrestrained around that man… isn’t that who you really are?”

I stare at him.

“If I may be so bold, Pauline Aronnax… perhaps it’s not that your emotions get the best of you. Perhaps it’s that being with him allows your true identity, that of the the adventurer and explorer, to be released from the persona you’ve created for yourself.”

Aleister pulls to a stop in front of the mansion gates.

“It’s simply an observation, however,” he says. “Don’t let it concern you.”

I look ahead and think about what he’s saying. My persona? An identity finely crafted to appear inscrutable, calm, and detached. It was necessary for survival at the university, but isn’t that the real me? Isn’t that who I am now?

“I won’t,” I say. I step out of the car and take a step back. “So, the next time I see you will be after Nemo’s release?”

Aleister shakes his head.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, but I’m afraid I have business elsewhere to conduct. I doubt we will be meeting again.”

“I understand,” I reply. “If I see you’re ever teaching a class, I’ll be right up front fighting for a spot to attend!”

Aleister smiles warmly, and I can’t help but think about what a kind man he is.

“I look forward to it,” he says before he pulls into reverse and drives off into the night.

As the noise disappears, I stand and stare at the quiet night surrounding me.

“Who I really am, huh?” I ask the stars.

“My, my… aren’t you cold standing out here?” I turn at the sound of another voice, this one incredibly gentle after Nemo’s screeching.

“Be careful, or you might find yourself meeting a ghost,” he continues. It’s a man impeccably dressed, the many watches on his arm glinting in the starlight.

I smile at him. “Are you telling me that you’re a ghost?”

He smiles right back at me.

“I am the Count of Saint Germain,” he says after a moment. “I am the owner of this mansion.”

“Ah! That…” I look down at the robes I’m wearing. His robes. “Thank you for your hospitality! I-Impey Barbicane said that you wouldn’t mind. … I hope that indeed was the case.”

His smile doesn’t falter, not even for a moment. I feel that if he opened his eyes, I would be completely devoured.

“I enjoy it when my guests are pleased,” he says. “Please, don’t hold back on my account. However…” he looks towards the mansion. “I do believe your companion has made himself sick with worry.”

“Conseil?!” my eyes widen. “I didn’t mean to—oh dear! Please excuse me!”

The Count is still smiling as he pushes the gate open for me, and I run towards the steps.

When I open the door, Conseil is running towards me.

“Professor!” he cries as he throws his arms around my neck. “Oh, Professor, when will you stop worrying me?”

“I didn’t mean to worry you, Conseil,” I say, rubbing his back. “I didn’t even realize you would wake up.”

“Of course I would!” Conseil frowns at me. “How could I not? You had run away again! What were you even doing?!”

I laugh lightly. “I suppose I was just getting another glimpse of my true self.”

“What are you saying?” Conseil puts his hands on my shoulders.

“Ah, if you wouldn’t mind…” the both of us look up to see the Count standing nearby. “I would hate for my other guests to be roused so late after their journey. Perhaps you can continue your discussion in your chambers?”

“Of course,” Conseil looks at the Count before bowing. “Please, excuse us for imposing on your graciousness.”

The Count just smiles and gives us a little wave as we retreat up the stairs.

“To be honest, I was up because there were some late-night arrivals,” says Conseil as he walks down the hall with me. “There was the Count, of course, and with him was a very charming young lady.”

I stifle a laugh as he opens the door for me. “Would that happen to be Barbicane’s angel?”

“He acted absolutely boorish around her,” Conseil says with a scoff. We’re inside my room now, and Conseil helps me out of my robe. “Honestly, I don’t know how you ended up in the company of such people!”

“Conseil,” I speak sternly, and he deflates.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I must be tired, or I never would have said anything ill about those you consider your friends.”

I smile at him as he hangs my robe up. “Conseil, you know I value your opinion. I just wish there was something I could do to convince you to relax a little around them.”

“Well, I’m sure you can tell me all about them after our flight tomorrow,” Conseil beams. “I look forward to hearing about your stories.”

“Oh…” I look at him worriedly. The way he’s acting now, he won’t be happy to find out that I won’t be going back with him. The poor man, I’ve put him through a lot these past few weeks. First he had to decipher where I was going, then he had to track me down all the way to London, then I sent him on more errands… no wonder he’s upset.

“Oh, Conseil…”

He looks up at me. “Are you worried? Please don’t be. I… I know you don’t want to go back to Paris, but I promise that I will help you as much as I can, and then you’ll be able to return here. Won’t that make you happy?”

He smiles at me, and I find myself smiling back despite myself.

“Conseil, I went out this evening to see Nemo.”

The edges of his lips tremble, and I can tell that there are no more good feelings behind that smile.

“We… we’ve received patronage,” I say. “Conseil, I don’t have to go back to Paris. I’m going to stay here until Nemo is released.”

Conseil sits down on the edge of my bed.

“So you don’t need me,” he states.

“Don’t be silly,” I say, sitting down next to him. “Conseil, you’ve always been my dearest friend.”

I take my hand in his.

“I need you now, more than ever,” I say.

His pale cheeks grow rosy. “Professor…”

“I need your help desperately,” I say. “I… I need you to go back to Paris for me. Give the police as much information as you can and assist them in my absence. That would be the best thing you could do for me, my friend!”

Conseil pulls his hand away from me somewhat forcefully. He sets his mouth and closes his eyes.

“If that is what you need, Professor, then I will oblige.”

His voice sounds so cold. I thought he would be happy at my reassurance. Doesn’t he understand how important his friendship is to me?

He stands up, and I do as well.

“Conseil!”

He looks back at me. “You should get some sleep, you have lots of new friends to meet tomorrow.”

“Conseil…” I’m not sure what I could possibly say to make him feel better.

It’s as if he’s reading my thoughts.

“Please don’t worry about me, Professor,” says Conseil. “I … I value your friendship as well. I simply wish…”

I look at him, waiting for him to finish, but he shakes his head.

“It’s nothing,” he says with a bright smile. “I’ll be waiting for you when you return, so you had better gather lots of research material!”

I nod at him. “I will. I promise!”

He looks at me one last time before leaving the room and shutting the door.


	4. My Angel, Cardia!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have to leave so soon, Conseil? Not without interrogating Impey, apparently! Also, two beautiful siblings appear at the mansion! Could one of them possibly be Impey's beloved angel? If that's the case, then who's the sour-faced kid with her?

I wish I dreamed more often. I read somewhere that our dreams let us know our heart’s deepest desires. It allows them a safe place to manifest, one where nobody else can see.

But my dreams are always black. Peaceful, but quiet. It’s like my mind refuses to let me have a conversation with myself.

At least without dreams it’s easier for me to wake up. If my mind pulled me into fantasies of endless depths, of untamed fathoms just waiting for me…

I sit up in bed, only mildly surprised to see a hot pot of tea resting nearby.

“Oh, you’re up already!” Conseil gives me a bright smile as he hurries over with a plate of delicate pastries. “I had Mr. Barbicane prepare these for you, since I wasn’t sure how long you would be asleep.”

A dish of scones and clotted cream rests daintily next to a sprig of lavender. Nearby is… what I can only assume is a cannoli.

“Conseil, is this…?”

“Yes,” he replies. “Mr. Barbicane insisted that he make you a ‘Super Leviathan Cannoli de Barbicane’.”

Indeed, it is a cannoli shaped like a squid, with cream tentacles pouring out of one side and spelling out ‘GOOD LUCK’ across the plate.

“He was already working on it this morning,” Conseil continues. “He wanted to have it prepared for when you board…”

His smile looks a little sad.

“He was very happy when I informed him of your changed circumstances.”

I motion for Conseil to come closer to me. He obeys, and I pass him the plate of scones. “Here. There’s no way I can eat these all by myself. Why don’t you join me for breakfast?”

Conseil smiles and takes the plate from me. He sets it on the bedside table before leaning down and hugging me tight to him.

I’m so surprised by this that I gasp.

“Forgive me,” says Conseil. “But I have to prepare for my journey, and the thought of leaving you again—the thought of being left behind again—forgive me for this act of indecency.”

He rests his chin on my shoulder, and I gently reach up to rub his back.

“And I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for my behavior,” he continues. “I know I need to trust you, Professor. I just want to ask one thing of you, just one more thing and then I will leave you be!”

I feel a wetness on my shoulder, and I realize that it’s from a tear rolling down his cheek.

“Please be safe!” is his request.

Finally, I return his hug.

“I’ll never leave you behind,” I reply. “And I promise I will be safe.”

Conseil straightens himself up and takes a step back.

“Thank you, Professor,” he says. “I must return to Paris, now. Pray for a swift journey, and that I am able to fulfill my duty.”

“Conseil, I’m fairly certain you could even find a way to move the sun if I asked for it!”

Conseil assists me in readying my wardrobe before we walk downstairs so I can see him off. He doesn’t even have any luggage of his own, such was his panic to reach me.

“Hey, hey!” Barbicane claps Conseil on the back. “I’ll give you a ride, okay? It wouldn’t be right for you to come all the way to Steel London without sampling a bit of Impey Tech~!”

Conseil suddenly looks very uncomfortable, but when he sees my laughter, he gives a nod.

“Your kindness is much appreciated, Mr. Barbicane,” he says.

“Woah, woah! What’s this ‘Mr. Barbicane’ business?! I swear, between you and Polly-chan… it’s Impey, just Impey! IM-PEY.”

I wave as Barbicane leads Conseil away to his automobile.

—  
Soon, the automobile is bouncing down the road at a healthy speed. Impey is smiling brightly, chatting about something or another. Conseil is only half-listening, instead choosing to watch the mansion as it grows smaller in the side mirror.

It’s only when the mansion completely vanishes from sight that he turns to regard his driver. He looks so carefree, so happy. Conseil feels a pang of envy in his chest.

“Mr. Barbicane,” he starts.

“Huh? Again with the ‘mister’ thing?!”

“Please humor me,” Conseil continues. “Since I am on this mission for the Professor, I will not be around to protect her.”

Impey raises an eyebrow.

Conseil looks straight ahead, as though he doesn’t want to acknowledge the question he’s asking: “What sort of man is Nemo?”

“What… sort of man…? What kind of question is that?”

“Can you not alleviate my worries?”

“Yeesh, you’re so intense…”

“I want to be reassured that the Professor will be safe with him.”

Impey sighs. “Look, to be completely honest with you, I don’t think I could say anything that will make you feel better. But…”

Conseil finally looks at the driver.

“Nemo loves science more than anything. He told me once… that it’s the reason he’s alive. Now, Polly-chan, she loves science too, right? That’s why she went on all those expeditions when she was younger? Nemo is kind of a messed-up guy, but since they both love science, I think they’ll be really happy on their journey. Besides, Nemo needs some stability in his life, and Polly-chan? Well, you might think she’s all right, but I think she could use a little more passion and zest—”

“Stop the car.”

Impey slams on the breaks. “Woah! What’s wrong?!”

Conseil quickly opens the door and steps out, giving Impey a polite smile.

“Thank you for the ride, Mr. Barbicane… and thank you for the reassurance.”

Impey shivers when he sees Conseil’s smile. There is no positivity behind it- it is a mere mask. But as unnerved as he is, he has to say: “Hey, we aren’t there yet. I can take you the rest of the way if you want.”

“That won’t be necessary,” says Conseil. “I would hate to keep you from your companions any longer. Please, give them my well-wishes.”

He bows to Impey before walking down the road on his own.

—

When I walk into the dining room, I see that there are quite a few more people than there were the night before. Frankenstein has returned, and with him came Sisi, who’s eagerly bounding around the slim ankles of an ethereal woman. Roses are in her lips, and her eyes are as deep as the ocean I long to see. When she smiles at me, all I can recall are Barbicane’s fond names for her: angel, princess, darling.

As dry as my mouth is, I’m able to offer a greeting, “You must be Cardia.”

“And you are Professor Aronnax,” she replies. Her voice is soft, like sunlight filtering through the windows of the mansion.

“Yes!” I straighten. “Ah, I hope Conseil hasn’t bothered you…”

Cardia laughs lightly. “Impey’s told me a lot about you, actually. I’m glad that someone like you is here.”

“What she means to say is that she’s glad there’s another woman here to attract the attention of these clods.”

A boy seated next to Cardia thumps down the newspaper he was holding. His angelic face is diluted by his sour expression, but he’s beautiful all the same.

“Finis, you know that isn’t true,” says Cardia.

“I’m afraid that Barbicane has spoken of little but Cardia,” I say with a shrug of my shoulders.

“Criminy…” the boy scoffs.

“This is my little brother, Finis,” Cardia continues. “I hope you’ll excuse his behavior.”

“Sister!” Finis’ eyes snap open and he glares at Cardia. She just laughs.

I join her at the table, sitting next to Frankenstein.

“It’s good to have so many people at the mansion again,” the Count addresses us from the head of the table. “It’s beginning to feel like old times.”

“Will Lupin be able to join us?” asks Cardia. “And Van, and Dela-chan?”

The Count looks apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Cardia. Lupin is tied up in Paris—”

Finis snorts.

“—and Dela-chan sent word that he and Van have been making great progress. They were all disappointed that they couldn’t see you this time.”

Cardia looks down at her tea cup, a frown pulling at the edges of that beautiful mouth.

I’m ripped from looking at her by a nagging feeling that I’ve heard one of those names before.

“Lupin…” I muse. “You aren’t talking about the Gentleman Thief, are you?”

Cardia immediately brightens. Impey’s clearly got his work cut out for him.

“Wow, you truly do surround yourself with characters,” I say. “He’s rather beloved in Paris, despite his criminal record.”

“He’s a good person,” says Cardia, that beautiful smile returning to her face.

I absolutely believe her. I think I’d believe anything she told me.

“I’ve returned, Cardia-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!” Barbicane practically floats into the room, but a glare from Finis shoots him down with all the might of a bolt of lightning.

“So…” I look around at the group. Frankenstein, Barbicane, Cardia, Finis, the Count… and Sisi. “Are all of you here for Nemo’s release?”

Frankenstein shifts uncomfortably.

“They’re all here for my sister,” Finis says matter-of-factly. “She’s the only one who has that lecherous buffoon in mind. Well…” Finis opens one eye. “Maybe his buffoon partner, also.”

“Hey!” Barbicane snaps. “’Partner’ is a title reserved for Lupin!”

“So yes, they’re all really here for her,” Finis says with a resigned sigh.

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” says Cardia. “Nemo’s work on the Nautilus saved our lives, you know.”

Finis shrugs, but he doesn’t say anything to defend his words.

I look around, waiting for an explanation, but it looks like no one wants to talk about what had happened. I pick up a spare tea cup and reach for the sugar bowl, only to find it empty.

Finis is staring at me, daring me to comment.

I quickly whisper an apology.

—

A few hours later, I find myself at the vanity in my room. I’m usually not one for primping, but I’m feeling restless. There are so many people in the mansion now, and despite their best attempts to include me, I can’t help but feel a little lost. They all must have experienced a lot together.

As I’m braiding my hair, I hear a knock at the door.

“Enter,” my voice is even.

I see Cardia’s reflection as she opens the door and walks inside. I turn and look back at her with a smile.

“Do you need something?” I ask.

She shakes her head, a smile on her face. “Are you getting ready to go to Buckingham Palace?”

I feel my cheeks redden.

“I was just… I felt like looking after myself a bit. I’m not usually one to…” my voice trails off when I see her laughing lightly.

“Barbicane has been talking to you, hasn’t he?” My tone sounds a little more accusing than I’d like for it to.

Cardia’s smile looks rather mischievous. “About what?”

I sigh. “He seems to have some theories… well, I suppose they’re harmless enough, baseless as they are.”

“I’d like to go with you,” says Cardia. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Nemo, but… I’m afraid it would feel strange if I went with Finis.”

I nod. “Sure, I’d be happy for the company.”

I’m only partially lying. It’s true that there’s a part of me that wants his genius all to myself, but Cardia feels just as special as he does, though it’s in a different way.

“Here, let me,” she says as she sits down on the edge of the bed. She undoes my braid with her long fingers and begins to brush it out. I sit wordlessly, my cheeks reddening even more.

“I don’t get to do this very often, Finis is so particular about his hair,” she says. “He says he doesn’t need his big sister messing it up.”

I find myself mimicking her smile.

She quickly begins to pull my hair back and braid it tightly.

“The Queen wears her hair up like this,” she tells me. “I think it will look nice on you, too.”

“You’re very kind, Cardia,” I say. “Barbicane was right about you.”

“I think…” Cardia trails off, pausing as she begins to pin my hair up in a braided bun. “I think I just want everyone to have an opportunity to be happy. Whether it’s shooting for the moon or sailing through the sea.”

She finishes, and I turn around to look at her.

“We all deserve joy,” she says. “After all, the feeling of joy is what makes us really human.”

—

As Cardia and I walk outside, Barbicane runs up to us joyfully.

“My ladies, your carriage awaits!”

“Impey, you’re going to Buckingham Palace as well?” asks Cardia.

Barbicane nods gleefully at her. “I’m going on business, though. Have to meet Victoria-chan!”

“V… Victoria-chan?”

Surely he couldn’t mean…

“Oh, you need to report your progress to Her Majesty?” says Cardia.

He… he does mean her.

“Mm-hmm!” Barbicane gives a thumbs up. “But what kind of man would I be if I didn’t offer such sweet ladies a lift, huh?”

“Thank you, Impey!” Cardia smiles, and the world becomes just a little bit brighter.

As Barbicane holds the door open for Cardia to climb in, he glances at me. “Eh? Did your hair special, huh?”

“A-Actually—” my voice breaks. “Cardia offered…”

“Ohhhhh~ no wonder it looks so nice!” Barbicane sniffs. “You’re so lucky, to have her thread her fingers through your hair like that! Ahh, Cardia-chaaaaaan!”

“I can do your hair too, if you’d like, Impey,” says Cardia.

The three of us continue our banter as we ride down the street. I’ve only known Impey Barbicane for a few weeks, and Cardia for less than a day, but I feel so comfortable speaking with them it’s like we’ve been lifelong friends.

“So, this Conseil guy…” Barbicane starts. “How did you meet such an intense guy?”

“He didn’t bother you, did he?” I ask.

“Well, he just asked some weird questions. I mean, I’m pretty used to ‘weird’ since I’ve spoken with Nemo so much, but he’s still a little…” he winces. “A little intense, I guess.”

“He’s very focused,” I say. “He always has been. We met each other back when I was in school. I hired him to be my assistant during my first expedition. He’s come on every single one since then. We worked so well together that eventually he stopped leaving after the expeditions ended. He’s my permanent assistant now, and my dearest friend. I wish I could do something to put him at ease.”

“I doubt you could do much,” says Impey. “I think he sees Nemo as a rival.”

“Oh, no…” Cardia sighs. “Not another rivalry.”

Impey laughs and shakes his head. “For once, I think Nemo’s the one in the dark about it!”

“A rival? Whatever for?” I blink a few times.

Impey just sighs.


	5. Dangerous Fairy Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Once upon a time, there was a prince who saw his family cut down by a great empire..." Queen Victoria has been hearing troubling fairy tales, and the bars between Nemo and freedom seem to grow even deadlier. Can Impey possibly change his patron's mind?

My stomach turns when we arrive at Buckingham Palace. There are guards lined up outside the entrance, specifically surrounding the entrance we use to reach the cells.

“Huh? What’s going on?” Barbicane stops the automobile, and I don’t want for him to shut off the engine before I jump out and run towards the gates.

“Ma’am, we can’t have any visitors today,” one of the guards says, holding up a hand to stop me.

“Is the prisoner safe?!”

My heart is pounding.

Two of the guards look at one another, then back at me.

“Is he alright?” I repeat.

The guard who first spoke to me nods at his associate before speaking: “He’s… as fine as he usually is.”

I scowl disapprovingly at their choice of words.

“So he’s safe, then? If that’s the case, then why all the guards? Why are you allowing no visitors?”

“I’m sorry, but that information is—”

I cut them off with a frustrated sigh.

“Hey, hey, not to worry, Polly-chan!” Barbicane walks up behind me, Cardia standing next to him. “Why don’t you come with me to meet Victoria-chan, huh? We can ask her about it.”

“The Queen?” I look at Barbicane with wide eyes.

Cardia looks at him and nods.

How can the two of them be so calm?!

After Barbicane presents himself, we’re led inside Buckingham Palace. I can feel beads of sweat on my forehead as I try to catch my reflection in each shiny object we pass. I have to look presentable. My reputation, no, my COUNTRY’S reputation depends on it!

I try to ask Barbicane to wait a moment before we walk into the audience chambers, but he just pushes the doors open and strides in without paying me any mind.

“Victoria-chaaaaan, it’s great to see you again!”

Suddenly, there’s a man standing directly in front of Barbicane with fire in his eyes.

“Even now, you waltz in here without a shred of decency!” he shrieks.

“Aw, I’ve missed you too, Leonhardt,” says Barbicane.

Queen Victoria is standing nearby. I recognize her instantly by her stately appearance, even as Barbicane’s loud greeting pierces her thoughts. She looks over with a slight smile, and I can’t help but feel like Barbicane has become an afterthought in whatever chaos has occurred.

“Your faithful knight has dutifully come to report!” Barbicane sidesteps Leonhardt and gives a sweeping bow to Queen Victoria. “And look, I bring with me one your loveliest subject and an ambassador of science!”

Queen Victoria looks kindly on us, but it’s clear her thoughts are elsewhere.

“Young lady, it is good to see you well,” she says to Cardia. “I do hope this engineer isn’t giving you too much trouble.”

Cardia returns the smile. “Impey is Impey.”

“W-What’s that supposed to mean…” Barbicane looks at Cardia with a hurt expression.

“And I find another scientist in my midst?” Queen Victoria turns her gaze to me, and I feel my blood turn to ice. She’s so beautiful, like a swan decked in gold.

“Your Majesty…” I finally manage to speak and curtsy as low as I can. “My name is…”

“Professor Pauline Honorine Aronnax… isn’t it?” Queen Victoria smiles. “Crossing the Channel in pursuit of science.”

Unsure of how to respond, I curtsy again. “I—I’m honored that you would know me, Your Highness.”

“It’s a habit of mine to know those who walk my halls,” says the Queen. “And you have been visiting so terribly often.”

I blush, not just my cheeks but my neck as well. It’s so very red compared to the queen’s.

“Yeah, about those visiting hours, Victoria-chan…” Barbicane looks from me to the Queen. “What happened? Did Nemo blow up something?”

Leonhardt scoffs. “As though we would let him have something so truly dangerous! Those ‘toys’ he thinks he’s hiding from us are worthless!”

Poor Nemo.

“I see, is that the reason you came?” Queen Victoria sighs. “I’m afraid that your friend’s situation has changed.”

All three of us shift uncomfortably, and Cardia whispers, “Changed?”

“Some unfortunate circumstances have been discovered,” says the Queen. She almost looks apologetic as she continues. “I’m afraid that he will have to be kept for some time, for the safety of Great Britain.”

“What?!” Barbicane cries out, and to my surprise I find that my voice is even louder than his.

“What could have possibly happened since the Nautilus?!” asks Cardia.

“Not ‘since’ the Nautilus,” the Queen quietly corrects her. “Before.”

“Look, Victoria-chan, I know he’s a creep, but I really don’t think he’s a danger to Great Britain anymore—”

“Do you think you can be the judge of that?” Queen Victoria’s stare turns cold, and Barbicane winces. She turns and walks up the steps to her throne before turning back towards us and sitting.

“For the safety of my country, I cannot give you a true explanation,” she says. “All I can offer you now… is a fairy tale.”

“Huh?” Barbicane stares up at her.

“Once upon a time,” the Queen ignores him and continues.

—

Once upon a time, there was a powerful king. Though his empire was strong, he wanted more. So, he sought to expand his borders and create colonies to help his people flourish.

At least, that’s what he told his soldiers.

Many countries, some peaceful and some not, fell beneath the king. The might of his armies rained upon the earth in gunfire and chemicals. Those who survived the onslaught of science had to face the wrath of man, and those who were unfortunate enough to have royal blood were shown no mercy.

Queens and princes, children and elderly, all who wore a crown were cut down in the name of sovereignty. Records state that they were given a chance to surrender, but only God knows if that was true… and the king had turned his back on God long ago.

This was no different for one particular country. The king had the royal family murdered—its king, queen, princesses, and a prince.

However, there is a story whispered in that country still, a story that has reached Great Britain. They say that the prince was somehow spared the fate of his family, perhaps by grace… or perhaps out of sheer cruelty. These whispers state that the lost prince grew and immersed himself in Steel London, and that perhaps he once had the strength to challenge Great Britain in the name of his fallen people. Perhaps he will find that strength again.

—

“That’s not true!” Cardia clasps her hands together, pleading for her words to reach the Queen. “There’s no way that Nemo’s this ‘Lost Prince’! I was there for the Nautilus’ preparations! He never mentioned any country or family… all he talked about was my father. He did it for Isaac Beckford!”

The Queen looks at the three of us with a look that mingles both pity and disgust.

“Yeeeaaahhh, Victoria-chan, I think your sources might be wrong with that one,” says Barbicane, a smile growing on his face. “I mean, come on, Nemo? Some kind of revolutionary? And a prince? Prince Nemo?!” He begins laughing.

Queen Victoria does not laugh. She does not even smile.

“Even stories themselves can be dangerous,” she finally says. “Even if his motives weren’t related to a colony, Nemo’s very identity could inspire unrest.”

I shiver.

“You’re saying…” Cardia begins. “You’re saying that if Nemo’s this Lost Prince, just for surviving the colonization…”

Barbicane’s voice is grim as well. “You plan on making a scapegoat out of him?”

“Word it how you will,” says Queen Victoria. “The sacrifices I make are for my children. For all of you.”

“This isn’t a sacrifice you’re making!” I’m surprised by the force behind Cardia’s voice. “This is you sacrificing Nemo so the crown’s true nature isn’t shown!”

Leonhardt steps between the three of us and the Queen. His expression is firmly set. There can be no mistake, our audience is over.

For a moment, it looks almost like Victoria is torn. She speaks slowly and confidently: “I will send the usual stipend to you, Impey Barbicane.”

Barbicane grinds his teeth. “There’s no way… no way in hell I’ll let my dream pave over my friend!”

Victoria doesn’t respond. I believe she knows where Barbicane's rage is coming from. She could have expected no other response.

As Leonhardt ushers us out, Queen Victoria says one final thing: “You will not believe my words—but I am deeply, deeply regretful that this fairy tale has reached our shores.”

I stop as the doors begin to close. I had been silent for so long, but my voice breaks free in a hoarse whisper: “Please let me see him.”

Leonhardt hesitates.

I turn around and look up at the Queen of Great Britain with all of the might I can possibly muster. “Your Majesty, please… let me see Nemo.”

Queen Victoria looks over me.

“I don’t care how many guards surround us, how many have to watch and judge. I don’t care if I have to be silent. Just please let me see Nemo again.”

Cardia runs to my side as I fall to my knees in front of the Queen and lower my head.

“Your Majesty!” I cry out. “I beg you, let me see Nemo one last time!”

I can’t see her, but I hear Queen Victoria stand up.

“You care for the architect of the Nautilus this much? When you’ve only known him for a short while?” she asks, her voice quiet. “To beg for him in front of royalty?”

“We were supposed to cross the ocean together…” my vision blurs, and large droplets appear on my glasses. “We promised each other when we first met… that when he was free…” I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to keep my voice even. “We would go on a grand adventure together! Yes, I’ve only known him for a few weeks, but I do care for him dearly!”

“That’s enough,” says Queen Victoria. “You’re making a spectacle of yourself.”

Cardia helps me stand, and I look up at the Queen.

She’s silent for a good while before she looks at her captain. “Leonhardt.”

Leonhardt moves to escort me out.

“Take them to that scientist’s cell. Do not leave them alone, but let them speak.”

I put my hand over my heart. I try to thank the Queen, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is a grateful “Oh!”

—

All of us are silent as we descend to the prison below Buckingham Palace. Leonhardt walks purposefully, but it is not fast enough for me. If it weren’t for Cardia steadying me, I would have stumbled many times by now.

“Polly-chan…” Barbicane looks worriedly over at me.

I shake my head and try my best to smile at him. “Tell me I’m overreacting.”

I bite my lip.

“Tell me that everything will be okay, and that I’m just being childish.”

Barbicane can’t respond.

We enter the familiar hallway, and the strange silence hits us like a wall.

“Nemo…”

I wriggle past Leonhardt and run to Nemo’s cell.

He looks up at me with a surprised expression.

“Ahh…” he tilts his head. “It looks like you’re the one who needs a handkerchief today.”

“Nemo!” I wrap my hands around the bars and lower my head, unable to stop the sobs that I’ve been holding back this whole time.

I feel Cardia put her arms around my shoulders, but I can’t bring myself to let go of the bars to accept her comfort.

“Hey, man…” Barbicane walks beside us. “How are you handling it?”

Nemo audibly shrugs.

“I…” he smiles. “Hooooooooooonestly have no idea what the Queen is talking about!” He looks at Leonhardt, who’s standing nearby. “You should make sure she doesn’t spend so much time out in the sun~ it’s worrying when people start to believe in fairy tales!”

“Insolent—” Leonhardt stops, but Cardia looks at him pleadingly, and he quiets.

“Nemo…” Cardia looks at him.

“Aaahhh, it’s been awhile…” he pauses to give a wide smile. “Cardia-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!”

Cardia’s smile is filled with gratitude, but it quickly dims. “Since you’ve heard what Her Majesty is saying, you can prove her wrong, right?”

“Mm…” Nemo taps his chin in thought before sighing deeply. “Queen Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiictoria… I don’t think there’s anything anyone could say that would change her mind.” He hangs his head dejectedly. “In her miiiiiiiiiiind, my guilt is assured. Alas, for her it’s easier to have a convenient enemy in the dungeon than it is to investigate the truth.”

Leonhardt is grinding is teeth so hard that all of us can hear it.

“Ahhh, not that I can claim to understand or not understand,” Nemo continues, shrugging. “I don’t do politics. Science is much more logical, it’s beeeeeeautiful like that!”

“Really, though…” Nemo lopes towards the bars. “It’s such a shaaaaaaaaaame, we were going to have such a nice party for meeeeeeeeeee! Uuugghh… boo…… boo hoo hoo……!”

My shoulders are still shaking as Cardia lets go of me. Is he taking this seriously at all?

I soon find my answer when I feel him poke my forehead.

“Polly-chaaaaaaan…”

He pokes me again, and only then do I look up at him.

He reaches out and pulls off my glasses before wiping my cheek with his gloved finger.

When he speaks, his voice is different. It’s quiet, so quiet that I feel like I’m the only one who can hear him: “I’m sorry, Pauline Aronnax.”

I notice that his cheeks are stained, too, and I wonder how long he was down here crying by himself.

My mind knows it won’t do anything, but my body begins to pull on the bars all the same.

Of course they don’t move, so all I can do is touch Nemo’s fingertips with my own. I can feel his warm skin beneath his gloves, and I want so badly to touch him, to touch his fingers, to touch his physical body as much as his mind, as much as his genius.

It hurts so much. It makes me want to rip my ribcage open and tear out my own heart.

I pull at the bars again.

“Nemo…!”

I hear Barbicane whisper something and then smack Leonhardt on the arm.

“Just for a minute, come on!”

Leonhardt sighs before walking forward. He looks down at me, at my hands straining so hard to touch Nemo.

He then looks up at Nemo and mutters. “If you take advantage of my romantic heart… I will make you regret ever coming to Steel London.”

Nemo just tilts his head like he has no idea what words just came out of Leonhardt’s mouth. But his expression changes when he sees Leonhardt unlock his cell door.

“Let go for a moment, miss,” says Leonhardt.

I force my fingers to uncurl and I step back so that Leonhardt can pull the door open.

Cardia, Barbicane, and myself are all silent. We look at one another before Barbicane gives me a wink.

Nemo doesn’t seem to be certain of what’s going on, either. He’s looking from the open gate to Leonhardt, but then his eyes fall back on me.

“P-Polly-chan…”

It’s like the both of us have suddenly grown sheepish without the bars in our way.

Leonhardt moves, and I quickly dart forward before he has a chance to change his mind and separate us again.

My hand is trembling as I raise it and offer it to the scientist standing before me.

“We… we couldn’t shake on our promise before, remember?” More tears run down my cheeks. “Looks like we finally can.”

Instead of shaking my hand, though, he threads his fingers with mine.

“I won’t give up,” I say.

I’m finally connected to him, palm-to-palm. Even if we can’t keep our promise, we’re clinging to it with all of our hopes.

But even this doesn’t feel like enough.

I take a step towards him, and he doesn’t back away.

I reach out towards him with my other hand, and he loops his free arm around me and pulls me to him, hugging me tightly. 

I’m so surprised that I stiffen at first, but he doesn’t pull back. Our hands are still entwined, and I mimic his motion by wrapping my free arm around his slim waist. The tears return, and I bury my head in his sweater, which smells faintly of gasoline.

I feel Nemo tremble, and when he rests his cheek against my head I can hear him whimper. Looks like we’re both crying messes right now.

“Great Britain herself can’t stop me from keeping my promise,” I whisper to him. “We will have our adventure!”

“H-Hey… saying things like thaaaaaaaat…” Nemo sniffs loudly. “That’ll get you in trouble around here!”

Barbicane puts a hand on Cardia’s shoulder and smiles down at her.

Nemo lets go of my hand and offers it towards Barbicane and Cardia, still holding onto me with his other arm. “M-My dear friieeennddsss!!”

Cardia runs forward and hugs the both of us tightly, and shortly afterwards Barbicane walks over with a laugh and hoists us all up into a bear hug.

All of us are laughing. All of us are standing here together, happy, holding one another.

If it weren’t for Leonhardt standing nearby, I could have wished… I could have dreamed that this would last forever.

But all too soon Leonhardt clears his throat and says, “It’s time.”

As Barbicane sets us down, Nemo suddenly puts his lips against the taller man’s cheek. Though at first I think it’s a kiss, I hear the hiss of a whisper against his skin.

He takes a step back from Barbicane and Cardia, and only then does he loosen his grip on me. I hesitate, but I realize that I have to let him go, too.

I step out of the cell, memorizing the feeling of his arms around me.

“My most precious friends…” Nemo speaks as Leonhardt locks the door once more. “Thank you all!”

Once more, Cardia helps me walk as we leave Nemo behind.

As we approach the automobile outside, Barbicane looks at me and smiles gently. “Hey, hey, Polly-chan, don’t cry!”

I shake my head, but look up at him all the same.

“There’s no need to cry anymore,” Barbicane continues. “We’re getting Nemo out tonight.”


	6. Jailbreak! The Burning Flight of Science!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nemo has set the plans in motion for escape, and all that's left is for Impey Barbicane to swoop in on that airship! Oh, and Aronnax has to sneak in. And deal with guards. Luckily, she's met someone who's very, VERY good at sneaking.

I look at the folded piece of paper in my hand. I don’t know when, but sometime during our embrace Nemo had put it in my pocket.

“He made sure I saw,” Barbicane said with a proud smile. “Nemo’s a weird guy, but he can be sneaky when he wants to be!”

I can’t help but feel a little conflicted when I hear this. Our first time touching, and it was a ploy. No, I shake my head. Besides, how long did he hold me? How long did we stay touch, palm-to-palm? In the end, all that matters is that he communicated safely with us and we will get him out. I should not be selfish, not with someone I care about. A dear friend.

Speaking of communicating with us…

“What did he tell you?” I asked. “When he kissed you?”

Barbicane’s jovial expression quickly falls. “P-Please don’t remind me of that, Polly-chan… I was so worried I’d have to wipe his weirdo lipstick off me!”

He rubs his cheek with an expression of pure agony on his face, but he stops when he sees the look on my face. “A-Anyway, he just said ‘tonight’. Not giving us a lot of time, but it’s better to act quickly if Victoria-chan has convinced herself that Nemo’s some kind of rebel prince.”

I unfold the paper and look down at it. He has surprisingly neat handwriting, even if he does accentuate it with little drawings of stars.

A.–

Sponsor will drop off ship tonight, specs below for I M P E Y B A R B I C A N E. This is so cool!

“Why did he write my name like that?” Barbicane squints over my shoulder.

I will take you to our M Y S T E R I O U S I S L A N D. There we can have lots of fun!

“Is… is that a drawing of himself winking?” Cardia asks.

I suddenly regret letting the two of them read over my shoulder.

X O X O,

–N.

I hear Barbicane begin to chuckle, and he winks knowingly at me. “Lots of fun, huh…? Wow, a bold love confession! His bravery is motivating me, too!”

Barbicane suddenly gets down on one knee and takes Cardia’s hand.

“Cardia-chan, my angel! Will you have fun with me on a mysterious island?!”

Cardia initially doesn’t respond. Finally, she glances at Impey and says, “I think your definition of ‘fun’ is different from Nemo’s…”

“H-Hey hey hey! Don’t say that I’m worse than that pervert! That stings, Cardia-chan!”

I knew that Cardia was right, but I was surprised to find that I felt disappointed when I heard her say it. Of course, the discoveries that will be made on our voyage will be lots of fun. Being with someone who is as passionate about science as I am will be fun, even if our favorite subjects are different.

But, I’m shocked at how I was hoping that there was more to it, with that cute little drawing he did.

What kind of ‘fun’ was I hoping he meant…?

…….

I’m so ashamed that I don’t even flinch when Barbicane plucks the paper from my hand.

“Let’s see, ship ship ship… ohh-hooo! Looks like we’re going to be getting a pretty good one! This sponsor Nemo got ahold of isn’t messing around! We’ll be sailing through the sky in no time!”

My stomach drops.

“When you say ‘ship’…”

“Mm-mm!” Barbicane closes his eyes, imagining the metal curves. “A gorgeous, gorgeous airship will be our getaway chariot!”

It’s rather hard to put into text the sort of noise that comes out of my mouth at this point. It isn’t a happy noise, that’s for certain. I sit down on a chair and stare at the ground.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Polly-chan?” Barbicane puts a hand on his hip. “Worried about being held captive like a cute princess by the scary airship captain, Nemo? A~aahh! I’ll rescue you, Cardia-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!”

Cardia looks at Barbicane. “If Aronnax is the one being kidnapped, why would you talk about rescuing me?”

“Ho ho ho! Because Polly-chan would only resist to save face, of course!” He strikes a pose that almost reminds me of Nemo. “Oh no~ how horrifying! Please be gentle with me!” He gives a thumbs up. “So that would give me lots of time for a super love rescue for my angel! All’s well that ends well, right, Polly-chan?”

“I have no idea what you just said,” I reply.

Cardia ignores Barbicane and looks at me. “Do you not like flying?”

I nod and take a deep breath.

“I have no specific reason for it, and my fear makes no logical sense,” I say. “I just hate the sight of the ground getting smaller…. and the only thing that separates you from falling into that eternal blue is a thin piece of metal.”

“And science!” Barbicane flicks down his goggles. “If you want, I can explain how airships are put together and what makes them tick. I can eeeeeeeeeven taaaaaaaaaaalk liiiiiiiiiiike thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis if it’ll make you feel better.”

“…. Never do that again,” says Cardia.

“I appreciate it, Barbicane, but I think I’ll pass,” I say. “All I have to do is take my sleeping draught before take-off and I’ll be in dreamland in about an hour.”

I stand back up.

“Doesn’t help quell the anxiety beforehand, though.”

I shake my head and dismiss my worries with a wave. “Seems silly to be anxious about that while we’re plotting a jailbreak!”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult,” says Impey. “Just have to sneak an explosive in and ka-boom, no more cell!”

“Just sneak in an explosive,” I repeat.

“Impey and the others do things like this often…” Cardia states flatly.

“That’s a little worrying,” I say.

“Are you surprised at this point?” asks Cardia.

I think about it for a moment.

“Not really.”

—–

Stealth has never been one of my skills. It’s a little unnerving to see the beautiful man in front of me weaving in and out of shadows like he belongs there. When Barbicane told the Count about our plan to rescue Nemo, he had simply smiled and said, “Oh, how fun!”

So now we’re walking through the grounds of Buckingham Palace. It’s strange how easily we are able to get around, but the Count is moving with the experience of someone who’s done this many times. I think I would be too frightened to ever ask him what his hobby is.

“Count, there’s a guard ahead!” I hiss.

“Yes, I know,” the Count just smiles as he walks up to him. Before the guard can comprehend what’s going on, he falls to the ground unconscious.

I didn’t even see the Count move. He just looks back at me with a smile and gestures for me to enter. I run past him and the Count follows in case there are more guards inside.

Of course there are more guards inside.

“My, my,” says the Count. “So many.”

At that moment, there’s a crash and smoke fills the room.

“Aronnax, go on ahead! San and I will hold them off!” I hear Frankenstein’s voice amidst the smoke.

“Thank you!” I call out to them before running in the other direction.

It’s hard to navigate through the smoke, I have to grope at the walls and pray I’m going the right way. How do they make it look so easy?

Eventually I make it to the door and open up into the cells.

“Nemo!” I yell.

I’m greeted with booming laughter.

“It’s time, it’s time, it’s tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!”

There’s another explosion, and I see a warped cell door go flying across the hall.

“Fwahahahahahahahaha!!” A familiar silhouette steps over the rubble from the blast and stands triumphantly.

“H-How did you…?” I trail off.

Nemo’s teeth glinted.

“Did you reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaally think that my resources were limited to a few mere scraps? Why, Professoooooooooooooooor, I’m insuuuuuuuuuuuulted!” But the wide smile on his face showed me that he was anything but insulted. In fact, he balanced one of his feet on the rubble and leaned back in mad laughter.

“I could have escaped aaaaaaaaaany time I wanted!” he shrieked. “I stayed put like a good boy so that I could triuuuuumphantly return and show that I’ve surpassed the greatest mind of Steel London: Isaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac-sensei!”

I’m stunned. I just stare in surprise as he continues to laugh.

“But I’m afraaaaaaid their change of plans forced me to action! So I must go, for my sun is setting over Steel London and dawning above the deep bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue!”

He thrusts out one of his hands.

“Noooooooow, Pauline Aronnax! Come with me on the joooooourney of a thousand lifetimes!”

I swallow and gingerly reach out to take his hand. However, his eyebrow twitches and he pulls his hand back. He steps over the rubble and stands in front of me, so close that fine strands of his hair brush my cheek.

My heart is pounding.

“I’m afraid, with these developments… the terms of our promise have changed,” says Nemo.

A bolt of coldness runs through me. “W-What are you saying?”

The grandeur of the scene is ruined by him biting his lip and shifting his weight—he’s nervous.

“If you go with me,” he starts. “You’ll likely be branded as a criminal by the British Empire.”

He reaches out and takes me firmly by the shoulders. “I—I wanted you to know, before we left—there’s still a chance! If you…”

His voice darkens.

“If you reject me now, you’ll likely be able to go back to the way things were. You could go back to Paris, you could go back to your studies and work. No one would have to know that you assisted me.”

His grip on me tightens, and I can’t stop myself from whimpering from the pain.

Is this a reminder of just how dangerous he is? A glimpse of the madman who built a battleship to cover the sky in darkness?

I try to seek out his eyes hidden behind his goggles. Even this close, they’re completely obscured.

For some reason, I suddenly recall the conversation that I had with the university’s headmaster, and I say the same words:

“It’s too safe for me here.”

Nemo’s expression falls in shock, his mouth slackens and he lets go of my shoulders.

“What…” his voice is higher than usual. “What are you saying?”

“I’m going with you,” I say. “Nothing will make me change my mind.”

He looks like he’s trying to process what I just said.

“Discoveries require risks,” I continue. “The greatest discoveries require the greatest risks. Besides that…”

I feel my face redden as I look down at the ground.

“I don’t want to go on this voyage with anyone but you, Nemo.”

I hear him make a confused noise.

“I don’t think anyone else could make me feel so happy about what I’m doing, about the science I’m pursuing. You … you love science so much. Being with you makes me feel like there’s so much left in the world to be discovered. By us.”

I hold out my hand.

He looks down at it, then looks back up at me. I try to reassure him with a smile.

He slowly reaches out for me, and we’re finally palm-to-palm again.

The only bars around us now are open, and we look at one another for what feels like an eternity.

Both of us move at the same time, closing the space between our bodies—

“Aronnax! Impey is coming in with the airship!”

Frankenstein is standing in the doorway, the Count not standing too far behind.

“MYYYYYYY ETERNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL RIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICTOOOOOOOOOOR FRAAA—”

“The prisoner’s escaped!” guards pour in from the door on the other side of the hall, interrupting Nemo’s passionate greeting.

I keep a hold on Nemo’s hand as we begin running for the door with the others. I don’t ever want to let go of him. We were so close to holding each other again.

Surely this passion is the beauty of science!

… At least, that’s what I wish I was thinking.

As we escape from Buckingham Palace, I realize that I’m losing the battle against my own feelings. But thinking it, acknowledging it… Nemo and I are companions who will go on a great journey in the name of scientific discovery.

I can’t sully the beauty of that by admitting to myself that I’m falling in love with him.

The airship is waiting for us, hovering above as Frankenstein and the Count hold off the guards that seem to be pouring in from all directions.

“Ahoy there! Everyone ready to go, then?!” Impey’s voice is broadcast through the air.

I find it hard to move as I realize that we’ll be boarding that thing and sailing and plummeting and tossing ourselves through the unforgiving sky. My body becomes even more rigid when I see a rope ladder dropped down from the ship.

“Miss Pauline, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” says the Count.

“Don’t forget us if you ever find yourself in Steel London again,” says Frankenstein. They turn their backs to us to fight the guards who run to stop us.

I yelp when I feel an arm wrap around my waist and lift me.

“Hee hee hee! Noooooo time for being sheepish!” Nemo hoists me up and grabs ahold of the rope ladder, sandwiching my body in-between him and the rope.

I can feel the rise and fall of his breathing. It’s calming, even if only a little.

The airship begins to rise into the air.

“O-K! Reel us in!” Nemo yells upward.

The ethereal boy standing above the airship trapdoor looks down at us and narrows his eyes.

“Sister… if we were to drop them, we would be rid of so much noisiness.”

My throat goes dry. I can’t even scream at the horror that fills my core at that terrifying joke.

I feel Nemo lean in close to me. “Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing.”

The ladder vibrates and then is slowly reeled in by someone turning a crank.

“Finis, this is no time for that!” I hear Cardia yell to her brother.

“In and out…” Nemo continues. “I won’t let my precious friend fall, so just keep on breathing.”

It still feels like an eternity before I feel Cardia grab ahold of me and pull me inside the airship. As soon as I’m inside I collapse to the ground in a heap.

“Hoooooooooooooooo! It feels so gooooooooooooood to be back in the sky!!” I hear Nemo’s joyous shriek.

“Pipe down back there!” shouts Barbicane.

“Get away from that steering wheeeeeeeeeeel!” Nemo cackles. “Out, out, ouuuuuuuuuuuuuut!”

“You should show a little more gratitude to the genius who rescued you!”

I feel the ship lurch as Nemo grabs the steering wheel away from Barbicane.

“I’m going to be sick…” I murmur into the floor.


	7. I Can See the Stars in Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aronnax is falling asleep, but a part of her wants to be with her friends. A part of her wants to be with him.

It typically takes an hour for the sleeping draught to take effect, but I’m usually fortunate enough for a placebo effect to take place almost immediately after I take it. I lean against the wall of the airship and slump over, listening to the sound of my breathing. In and out, in and out.

I decided to retreat to the engine room of the airship. There are no windows here, so it is easier for me to pretend that I’m not so high in the air.

The bridge is so boisterous, it’s bursting at the seams with joy. The adrenaline of our rebellion and great escape is thick in the air, and the noise of talking and laughter is almost as loud as the noise of the airship itself.

“I wish…”

I murmur to myself.

It’d be so nice to be able to enjoy this with all of them.

But behind them would be that frightening blue, that ever-stretching, endless blue…

I hear the door open and look up to see Nemo. He has his tongue stuck out and his eyebrows are furrowed as though he’s deep in thought.

I decide not to say anything, and just watch as he walks over to the dials and valves and… and other things that make up a steam engine. The way his fingers move skillfully over the bits and bobs makes me think of a musician. I straighten myself up to get a better look, though I have no idea what he’s doing.

Eventually he looks over his shoulder at me and flashes a golden grin.

“Hee hee hee… interested in the machinations of a geeeeeenius?”

I reply with a weak smile of my own. “I’ll be honest. I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re doing. But it looks impressive.” I shrug. “So… I’m just happy to watch.”

Nemo clucks his tongue at my groggy response. “How long ago did you take your medicine?”

“About ten minutes ago. However, I tend to become calm almost immediately after I take it. My body’s easy to fool, I suppose.”

“Mm… I’d say it’s more like your mind is able to rest easy because of the confidence it has in chemistry.”

I smile. “That is true, isn’t it? Chemistry is the netting that makes up biology, after all…” I pause to laugh at myself. “Though I never was very good in the chemistry laboratories at the university. I guess you could say, instead of creating… I prefer to study the life already created.”

I close my eyes. “I suppose a poetic way to say it would be to call me ‘Lachesis’. I take the threads of life already created and observe them. I watch them… on and on, until their strand is cut.”

Thinking of the classics like this makes me recall another story.

“Polyphemus… when he asks the hero his name… the hero tells him that he is ‘nobody’.”

Nemo has his back to me.

“But, the hero isn’t ‘nobody’, even if he calls himself that,” I continue. “He’s a great man…”

I slowly lower myself to the floor, resting my cheek on my arm.

“It’s such a shame… that he calls himself… ‘Nemo’… ‘nobody’….”

As my body settles and my mind begins to wade towards sleep, I hear Nemo turn around and take a few steps towards me.

I feel him put his hand on my head and begin to gently pet my hair. It’s a little strange to be pet like this, but it feels nice.

It isn’t long before I fall asleep.

—–

I’m not sure how many hours I’ve been before I feel a hand gently shake my shoulder.

I slowly open my eyes. It’s very dark in the engine room now, the only light a dull green gleaming from overhead lanterns.

I look around, trying to make out the vague shapes of the room. Eventually I see Cardia stretched out nearby, her mouth opened cutely as she dreams. Sleeping with his back to her is Finis, his hair undone and streaming like golden thread across the floor.

I look up at Nemo, who’s practically vibrating from excitement.

I re-adjust my glasses so I can see him more clearly before whispering, “Have we landed?”

“Nooooooot quiiiiiiite…” he says, a wide smile stretching across his face.

“Then why…” I sigh. It’s not that I’m not happy to see him. It’s just that we’re still so high up in the air, and I have no more medicine to relieve my anxious mind.

“I want to show you somethiiiiiiiiiiiing!” The way he’s jumping from foot to foot reminds me of a crab scuttling across the beach. “It’s reeeeeaaally niiiiiiiiiiiiic—” he gives a high-pitched yelp when something thumps him in the back.

Behind Nemo, Finis is sitting up and glaring at us with all the might of Hell itself. A wrench clatters to the ground, and Finis hisses: “I will strike your head next time if you do not cease your mindless chatter!”

My fear of this angry child bests my fear of the sky, and I whisper to Nemo: “Let’s go.”

With Nemo’s help I stumble to my feet, and I lean on him as we scramble out of the engine room before Finis can find more heavy metal objects to fling at us.

Once safely outside the engine room, I immediately close my eyes. We’re on the main deck of the ship, and I can feel the sky blowing against my face.

“I can’t…” I whisper.

I feel Nemo’s hand on my cheek, and I whimper before opening my eyes. He’s staring at me with concern, and in his goggles I see countless glimmering lights.

“Huh…?” Confusion momentarily overtaking my fear, I risk a glance upward.

Stars. Hundreds of thousands of stars surround us, swirling in paths of indigo and blue.

Still holding onto Nemo, I take a hesitant step out onto the main deck to get a better look. Below us is nothing but black, making it look like we’re floating on the sea instead of sailing through the sky.

“Are we in space…?”

Nemo cackles.

“What a cute reactiooooooooooooooon! No, no, we’re out over the sea now! Without the lights of society dimming it, the sky can show off her true splendoooooor!”

I try to take another step towards the stars, but my legs won’t budge. I hold onto Nemo’s arm tighter and look over my shoulder at him.

His smile is surprisingly calm, though he still looks giddy. Is it because he was able to show me this?

I blush and look away, chastising myself for thinking like that.

“Hey, heeeeeeeeeeeeey! I have a magnificent ideaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” he gives me a thumbs up. “Let’s go to the observation deck! It’s windowed in, and the view will be maaaaaaaaaagnificent!” He strikes a triumphant pose, and I laugh despite myself.

“I’d like that,” I whisper. “Believe me. I just…” I can feel the airship move under me. “It might take awhile for me to move. I’m sorry, when I’m afraid I sort of get… stuck.”

“Not to wooooorry!” Nemo takes a step forward, and I suck in my breath when he suddenly lifts me off the floor and carries me close to his chest. 

I can’t speak, and I can’t stop my blood from rushing to my face. Still afraid, I cling to him with all of my might, burying my face in his shoulder. I’m beyond shame at this point, I just want to hold onto the one keeping me safe as we soar high in the air.

“I already toooold you I wouldn’t let you fall,” he says. “Now, come on…”

My lips are so close to neck that I can feel the heat radiating off of his skin. My breathing becomes heavier.

“Hmm? Calm down, we’ll be inside soon.”

Does he think I’m clinging to him out of fear? That might be partially true, but… I don’t want to calm down, and I don’t want him to let go of me.

I hate myself for feeling this way, and I cannot forgive myself for letting my emotions jeopardize my expedition. But right now, I’m letting myself feel this. This moment, I’m letting him surround me.

He kicks open the door to the bridge and carries me in. Barbicane is at the wheel, and he waves to Nemo over his shoulder. Luckily, he doesn’t turn around to see that I’m with him.

“Get out of here!” says Barbicane. “I told you that you need to get some sleep!”

“Just headed to the observation deck, my friend, no need to go into conniptiooooooooons!”

I press my nose and mouth against Nemo’s shoulder to stop myself from making any noise. If Barbicane sees me being carried like a blushing bride, I would never hear the end of it.

Nemo just laughs and walks up the stairs leading to the observation deck.

It’s small, really only room for one or two people. But this isn’t a luxury ship, so this deck is likely more for a lookout than sightseeing. It’s an enclosed space, though, and I’m grateful not to feel the wind on my face anymore.

Nemo sits down and leans me against the wall, still allowing me to be held against him. I finally let myself relax.

Above him I can see the constellations hanging in the sky like gems. If we were on the ground, I might have been able to use the stars to figure out where exactly we were. But no, up in the air like this I can’t concentrate on anything.

I lean into the crook of his arm and prop myself against his shoulder so I can see more.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur. “As frightening as it is, it’s beautiful.” I trace the patterns of the sky with my eyes. “You won’t let the sky devour me, will you?”

Nemo laughs. “You’d need an anti-gravity device for thaaaaaat…” his smile is lopsided. “And I’m afraid that went down with the Nautilus. So, there’s no need to worried about being sucked into the sky. I promise.”

He leans back to get a better look at the stars and sighs before lifting up his goggles and resting them on his forehead.

It’s… incredible. He’s incredible.

I mean, I knew he was an incredible man with an incredible mind but…

To be blunt, he’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.

Well, I’ve always found him attractive. His eclectic features perfectly suited his ‘mad genius scientist’ aesthetic. But this is beyond merely ‘attractive’. 

Silver eyelashes frame eyes such a deep indigo that they look violet in the starlight. His lips, usually stretched wide in a grin, are relaxed and parted in wonder at the dazzling display of natural science floating above us.

Looking at him like this… he really does look like a prince out of a fairytale.

And here I am, resting my cheek against his shoulder. I don’t know whether I feel out of place or incredibly lucky.

I quickly look away, suddenly aware of how long I’ve been staring at him.

I feel Nemo’s body shake with laughter, and I look up at him to see his usual grin.

“Aaaah, now you know my secreeeet~. I have to wear these goggles to stop hapless young individuals from falling head over heels for me!”

My face falls.

“You know,” I sigh. “For a moment, I almost believed you were going to say something serious.”

If only he were serious. If only I could tell him that I had already begun falling for him long before.

But that would change everything- our friendship, our dynamic, our partnership… I can’t risk it. I can’t risk it, no matter how much I want to feel his lips and feel those long eyelashes flutter against my skin.

“Er…. are you alright, though?”

One of his eyebrows is arched in worry.

“You’ve been flushed for awhile now. Have you had a reaction like this to your medicine before?”

Oh boy.

“No, I’m fine,” I shake my head.

With my luck, he’ll tell me I have an accelerated heartrate, too.

“I’m just happy,” I say. “I’m happy I can see the sky like this and still feel safe.”

I reach up and brush a strand of hair out of his face. “Thank you, Nemo. If you’ve shown me this much on our first night, I can’t wait to see what we’ll discover next.”

He rests his chin on my head and I can feel his body relax. “It’s nice~. It’s nice to have a friend who can appreciate the power science holds over all of us.”

I close my eyes, and he also shifts to make himself more comfortable. Soon we’re lying down, looking at the endless sky above us, our limbs entwined in a tight embrace.

This is enough. Even if he never calls me anything more than ‘friend’, it’s enough.

I would give up a thousand romances just to be his friend.


	8. Welcome to Lincoln Island!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aronnax wakes up on the "Mysterious Island" and is greeted by a new friend.

I can feel the sunlight warming my cheeks, but I don’t want to wake up yet. I nuzzle into the rough fabric of Nemo’s jacket, seeking out the preferable warmth of his body.

When I can’t find it, I frown and open my eyes. It’s true that I’m holding onto his jacket, but that’s it. I realize, with some humiliation, that I’ve been clinging to it in my sleep like a koala clings to the trees of Australia.

I groan when I imagine Nemo trying to dislodge himself from my grip. The medicine must have made my sleep deeper than usual. The poor man!

I sit up and look around. The sky is clear and blue, with only a few lonely puffs of clouds marring the brilliant color. My stomach lurches when I see nothing but sky, but the airship is completely still and I no longer here the mechanical whirrings of its flight.

Have we landed then?

I swing my legs over the stairway leading down to the bridge and smooth out Nemo’s jacket as best as I can. I swallow the childish urge to throw it over my shoulders, instead choosing to fold it over my arm as I walk down the stairs.

I can’t even begin to express how thrilled I am to see that we are on solid ground. It looks like we’re in some kind of a warehouse, the sky exposed by a retractable roof. I quickly exit the bridge and walk onto the main deck. There are workers running back and forth through the warehouse, carrying supplies and mechanical equipment. There are three other airships sharing this space, though it looks like we rode the largest.

“Ahoy!”

I look down to see a tall individual waving at me from the ground. She—I find myself assuming that they are a she—has a confident smile and stance. Eccentric goggles perched on her forehead give away her status as a person of science, and at this point I’m considering investing in a pair myself, as it seems to be a mark of a modern scientist.

“You must be Professor Aronnax!” she stretches her arms wide, looking around the warehouse with pride. “Welcome to Lincoln Island! Why don’t you come on down and take a look around?”

It’s much easier for me to get off of the ship when it isn’t moving, and when I finally get on solid ground I feel a wave of relief rush over me.

I turn to look at the scientist approaching me with long strides.

“Lincoln Island,” I state when she reaches me. “I’m assuming this island was founded by Americans, then.”

“You assume right!” she says. “My name is Cyrene Smith, one of the founders of Lincoln Island, and one of the greatest scientists born on American soil! Astronomy, botany, biology, chemistry, physics… you name it, I adore it!”

I can’t help but wonder why so many of the scientists I encounter are loud and boisterous. I offer her a gentle smile, and my introduction is quiet and even: “It sounds like you already know who I am, but to be polite, I am Pauline Aronnax. I’m afraid I must admit I’m not exactly a professor anymore.”

“Oh, I know!” Smith says with a laugh. “Rumor has it that you’ve gone absolutely off-the-wall mad, quit your job, and intend on taking a submarine across the Atlantic!”

Smith punctuates her words with a wink. “Sounds like fun, count me in!” She gestures for me to follow her, and we begin strolling towards the exit of the warehouse.

“You’ll fit right in,” she says. “I mean, I went absolutely off-the-wall mad and let myself get swept away to a deserted island… literally. In a hot air balloon!” She points to a wall, where indeed the remnants of a balloon and basket are hanging with reverence.

“My friends and I made a nice little life for us here,” she continues, pushing open the warehouse doors. Volcanic rocks stretch out like shelves and give way to the ocean churning below us. Multiple buildings have been built into cliff walls, each a temple to brass and steam.

“We were discovered by a mysterious benefactor,” says Smith. “He’s helped us turn this island into a scientist’s paradise, untouched by the masses and unaffected by the government.”

“A benefactor?” I question.

Smith gives me another wink. “The same benefactor that approached you and Professor Nemo.”

“….. P…. Professor Nemo?” I can’t stop myself from staring at her.

She nods. “Yeah. Professor Aleister sent us word beforehand. He’s really pulled out all the stops, we’re to pour all of our resources into this submarine!”

“That’s wonderful, but… ‘Professor’ Nemo?”

Smith puts a hand on her hip. “He’s been drafting up designs for a few hours now. Seeing the ideas pour out of his head and onto paper is incredible, I could have watched him all afternoon!”

“Professor….” I repeat.

Smith looks at me for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. “Oh! Yes, of course! I may be a genius, but one of my rules is to always address my seniors with proper respect! Professor Aleister, Professor Nemo, Professor Barbicane, and Professor Aronnax! But…” she pauses to wince. “Impey said it made him sound stuffy. Both him and Nemo said that I could call them ‘sensei’, but… I don’t know, the English “Professor” sounds so much cooler, don’t you think?”

I blush at being called a ‘senior’ by this confident woman, and also from the mental image of Barbicane and Nemo both telling her to call them ‘sensei’. Good lord.

“I suppose I hadn’t thought of it,” I admit. “If you want to give me a title, I would prefer ‘Professor’ over ‘sensei’.”

“Right, right?!” she clenches her fists excitedly. “It sounds so much cooler! Ah, someday I’ll have super-cute assistants that call me ‘Professor’!”

Smith continues to talk excitedly as we walk down the island and towards the barracks.

“I’m afraid the rooms are a little utilitarian for a sophisticated woman like you, but they’re clean and comfortable,” says Smith.

I can’t stop myself from laughing. “Do I look like the kind of woman who needs a bust of Homer on her desk?”

Smith suddenly stoops down to look at my face. I flinch at how close she is and instinctively take a step back. She grins at this and whispers: “More like a bust of Minerva.”

I can feel my heart pounding.

“Well,” I say. “Aren’t you a smooth talker?”

She gives me a wink. “Can’t take all the credit for that one. One of your companions already compared you to Minerva… I’m just happy to see that his observations were correct.”

“One of my companions…?” I begin to ask, but Smith just answers my question by striking an overly dramatic pose and yelling: “A MOOOOOODERN MINEEEEEEEEERVA who will let her PAAAAAAAAASSIONS GUIDE HER ON THE ROAD TO ENLIIIIIIIIIGHTENMENT!” She shrugs. “Or something along those lines.”

I put my palm to my face to hide my frustrated blush. “Y-Yes, that does sound remarkably like one of my companions.”

We soon reach a simple granite building built, like most of the other buildings, into the side of a mountain.

“This side of the island is very rocky and dry. It’s perfect for a place to set up shop without touching as much of the island’s natural climate,” Smith explains. “On the other side of the volcano are vast jungles and winding rivers. It’s a biologist’s dream…”

She looks adoringly at her surroundings. “A part of me selfishly hopes that you’ll take advantage of this place while the submarine is being constructed. I’d love to see your sketches of the wildlife here.”

“I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to explore,” I say. “I really want to be useful and help the others. I’m not sure how much I can help, since I’m not an engineer or a chemist or anything like that, but… I want to try.”

Smith shrugs. “We can always use help here, no engineering experience required.”

She opens the door to the barracks and walks inside. There’s a sparse living area with a few chairs set up and books stacked against the walls. Pipes run along the walls, and Smith excitedly waves me over to one.

“Look, you can get fresh water easily from here,” she says. “It might not be very cold, we’re still trying to work out the kinks, but at least you don’t have to worry about boiling water!” She opens a door and leads me down a hall. “There’s a small kitchen, but it isn’t very good for much except making tea. The cafeteria is closer to the warehouses since many of our workers spend so much time out that way. The men’s bunks are right down this hall here, and upstairs is we have the lovely ladies staying.”

Smith begins to lead me up a spiral staircase, but I stop when I hear familiar voices. Hopeful, I climb the rest of the way up, but my expression falls when I realize it’s Finis’ voice I hear. He’s speaking with Cardia, and only gives Smith and I the slightest glance when we approach.

“Ahoy!” Smith gives her happy greeting to the siblings.

Cardia smiles, “Cyrene, and… oh, Professor Aronnax, you’re awake now!”

I smile. “I hope I didn’t hold you all up when you were landing.”

Finis is looking at the jacket in my arms with a look of revulsion, and I feel compelled to move it out of his vision.

“Not at all,” Cardia shakes her head. “We didn’t even realize you were in the observation deck until Nemo came down.”

I flush. “I’m glad the landing went well.”

Finis sighs, clearly bored.

“Well, sister,” he says. “Don’t let those buffoons rub off on you anymore than they have already.”

Cardia shakes her head. “Oh, Finis…”

Finis begins to walk away, but he stops.

“Aronnax.”

I feel my skin prickle when he says my name.

“I want to speak with you later on, privately,” he says. “Make sure that… thing… doesn’t come with you. I don’t want to listen to him more than I absolutely must.”

As Finis begins walking away, I grit my teeth. “He is not a thing.”

Finis keeps on walking, giving me no indication that he had heard me.

“He’s a genius, a man with hopes and dreams…” I continue. “A human, just like you and me!”

This makes Finis stop, and he looks at me over his shoulder. His gaze is so cold that it shoots through me like a bolt.

“Don’t speak about things you don’t know,” he says. “It’s irritating.”

Cardia puts a hand on my arm to reassure me as Finis walks down the spiral staircase and disappears from sight.

“What a little prick,” says Smith. “How did a kid like that get a cute older sister like you?”

“Please don’t,” Cardia says flatly to Smith. She then redirects her gaze to me and gives a soft smile. “Finis is… Finis. It’s a long story, but… he really does mean well.”

I sigh. “I concede that Nemo does have an abrasive personality, but… it really upsets me to hear Finis treat him like a sub-human.”

Cardia’s smile is warm, but I can’t help but notice how sad it looks.

“Maybe sometime the four of us can sit over some tea,” she says. “You, me, Nemo, and my little brother.”

Though it seems like this suggestion is out of the blue, Cardia says it with such purpose that I can’t help but feel that this offering is incredibly significant.

I speak slowly to acknowledge her seriousness: “I’d enjoy that.”

“This is so cute…” Smith puts a hand to her chest. “It makes me glad that the two of you will be next door neighbors! Here we are!” Smith opens up one of the doors next to Cardia’s and gestures for me to enter.

Smith was right, the room I’m presented with is spartan but clean and bright. I’m thrilled to see a writing desk large enough for me to spread out my drafting materials. That, and a pillow, are all I really need to be comfortable.

The sole piece of decoration on the wall is a large map. I walk over to it and peer at it closely.

“Is this Lincoln Island?” I ask.

“Yes,” Smith replies. “I thought it would help the workers get used to the layout of the island. The fact that it will help treasured guests is even better.”

“Ah, I thought I recognized volcanic rock,” I say. “So, that’s the work of this mountain here?”

“She’s been asleep for centuries at this point, and all the remains of her might are valuable resources for us,” says Smith.

I can’t help but think that Smith is addressing the volcano as though she were a lover. It’s quite charming, and I find myself smiling.

“Well, I’ll let you relax for a little bit,” says Smith. “Dinner should be ready in a few hours at the cafeteria. Who knows, you might even see your other friends there if I can drag them from their work tables.”

“Knowing Impey, I doubt it,” Cardia speaks from the doorway with a smile. “He’ll work himself sick before he willingly takes a break.”

“How stubborn,” I sigh.

Smith just laughs and waves, moving to the exit. “I prefer ‘persistent’! Well, catch you ladies later!”

Smith leaves, and I’m alone with Cardia.

I suddenly find myself unable to think of a single thing to say, and I look around the room awkwardly.

She just smiles.

“Cyrene forgot to show you where the showers are. Would you like for me to show you?”

I nod. “It would be nice to freshen up before dinner.”

I quietly begin to follow Cardia, but she looks back at me with a laugh as sweet as she is. “Professor Aronnax, maybe you should set that down?”

“Huh?” I look down to see that I’m still carrying Nemo’s jacket. I jump in surprise when I see it and quickly lay it out over my desk chair. I smooth it out before looking sheepishly back at Cardia.

She’s looking at me kindly and holds out her hand for me to take.

I smile like a fool before taking it and letting her lead me to the showers.

“So, it’s just you and Finis…?” I ask.

“That’s right,” says Cardia. “The two of us live in Wales, in the family estate.”

She looks over her shoulder at me. “But we visit London as often as we can. It’s a little sad for us all to be split apart like this, but… even seeing one of my friends makes the trip worth it!”

I hope that someday I can consider myself one of her friends.

“Professor Aronnax…” Cardia trails off as we stop in front of the showers. “In here…” She turns and looks at me with her beautiful eyes. Too beautiful.

“I will show you my humanity. The humanity of my brother and myself, that we so desperately fought for.”

—

“Nngghh…”

Nemo is staring at the drawings laid out in front of him. He has been staring at them for too long.

Impey Barbicane stands nearby. He’s doing his best to direct the workers, but something seems off. Nemo isn’t usually this scatterbrained when it comes to his precious science.

“Hey, Nemo!” Impey calls over to him. “Do you need a break or something?”

“No!” he gets a loud shriek in response. “No, no, no NO NOOOOO!”

Impey shrugs and sighs. This isn’t the first time he’s offered Nemo a break. Clearly, what was left of his mind is elsewhere. He has a feeling he knew where it is, but…

The genius engineer smiles to himself, thinking that it might be better for Nemo to work this out on his own. The best conclusions come from hard work, after all!

… If only he had known.

If only Impey Barbicane had known that the conclusion had been made already. It was made the previous night, laying under the stars next to Aronnax.

Nemo closes his eyes. He can still see the stars imprinted on his eyelids, but from which sky?! Is it the sky above Lincoln Island, the same sky he shared with his precious friend, or…

Or is it the sky from so long ago? The sky that belonged to ghosts preceding Isaac-sensei? Belonging to those so important to him…

No, not ‘him’.

Not “Nemo”… but someone else.

Nemo slowly straightens up and takes a deep breath.

Hasn’t he given them enough?

In the pursuit of science, Nemo cast away the man he had been… the prince he had been.

Yes, Queen Victoria had been right. But there was so much more to it.

If he wanted revenge, he could have taken it countless times. But revenge is fruitless, it produces no results worth cultivating.

So instead of the prince dedicating himself to revenge, he simply… died.

Yes, he died and became “nobody”.

Isn’t that enough…?

If that’s enough, then why are his insides tearing themselves apart? Why are his hands shaking when he tries to concentrate? Why is he thinking of the dead? Why is he allowing himself to suffer?

For what is all this pain, for friendship?

No, he knows better.

But it doesn’t matter, either way.

The prince is dead. Long live Nemo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cyrene Smith is based off of Cyrus Smith from Jules Verne's "The Mysterious Island". He's an engineering genius who escapes the Civil War in a hot air balloon and is swept out to sea along with his companions.  
> Lincoln Island is the very same Mysterious Island as the one in the book, and as such its layout is the same, volcano and all.


	9. The Definition of Humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cardia tells Aronnax why the word 'humanity' is so precious to her... and to Finis. Also, will Aronnax's feelings further impede on her dream of crossing the ocean? How much pain will she endure? And how much pain is Nemo enduring right now, with no one knowing...?

“Homunculus…”

As if I’m struggling with what’s in front of me, I begin to babble nonsense I’ve read.

“Another name for ‘golem’. A creature appearing in the Psalms and the Book of Creation. To think I would see one standing before me, without ‘truth’ written on her forehead!”

Cardia continues to watch me evenly, water dripping down her body as she stands under the brass showerhead.

“Yes… I was created,” says Cardia. “And now that I’ve told you everything…”

Cardia looks at me directly. “I hope you understand a little bit more about my brother.”

The water feels numb on my back. The entire story she told me, about Isaac Beckford and the Nautilus… it all seems so hard to believe. But there she is, watching me with the Horologium in her chest.

I finally bring myself to speak.

“The two of you have been through a lot. Knowing the truth… I realize that I spoke out of turn. I am very sorry.”

I look down at the floor, at the water swirling down the drain.

“But?” I hear Cardia. “You sound like you want to say something else.”

I rub my arm sheepishly. It’s not bad enough that the two of us are showering together, separated only by stall walls that easily allow us to see one another, but she reads my thoughts so clearly!

“I honestly… don’t know what else I could say,” I answer honestly. “To be isolated for so long, to almost forget who you are, to forget that you’re a human girl…”

Cardia’s shoulders flush when I call her a human girl. It looks like it might be something she’s still getting used to.

“And yet you helped one of the architects of your suffering escape from prison. You risked your freedom to help him… I know what you’re going to say, ‘it was for Barbicane’, right?” I laugh. “But the fact of the matter is… Cardia, you’re so kind. You telling me these things, I…”

Why am I crying? There’s no reason for me to be crying. Just hearing about how she was treated… by Aleister, my benefactor– her own brother—and by Nemo, who I treasure!

“Why are you helping us? When we… the architect of your pain…”

I’m surprised to feel Cardia’s hand on my cheek. She’s leaning over the stall, stretching out as far as she can to touch me.

“Please don’t cry,” says Cardia. “I’m glad to be able to help my friends. All of them…”

This girl in front of me is incredible. Her smile, her warmth, her kindness…

I can’t believe anyone could have ever called her ‘monster’.

I can’t believe Nemo called her ‘doll’.

I squeeze Cardia’s hand. “Thank you. Now… what do you say we get out of here so we can remind those two scientists to eat?”

Cardia watches me for a moment longer. “Will you be all right?”

I laugh. “This entire journey has been a thrill, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I just know that I appreciate everything you’ve done, Cardia. Thank you.”

———-

“Nemo… are you ready to talk?” Impey is sitting backwards on a chair, peering at Nemo over the back.

“I’m aaaaaaaaaalways ready to talk about science!” Nemo dramatically lifts a hand into the air.

“Nah, I want to talk about the reason why you’ve been looking at that diagram upside down for the past ten minutes,” replies Impey, resting his cheek on his hand. “It’s because you spent the night with Polly-chan, right?”

Nemo laughs shrilly. “’Spent the night’?! What sort of boor do you think I aaaaaaaaaaam? We watched miracles of science streaking across the night! We swore that our camaraderie would last as long as the skyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!”

“So, she’s a comrade, huh?” Impey just sighs. “Wow, how romantic.”

Nemo turns and looks at Impey, jaw set.

“Impey Barbicaaaaaane…” he puts a hand to his chest. “There is nothing as romantic as swearing eternal friendship under the stars!”

“Eternal ‘friendship’ huh…?” Impey sighs. “Whatever makes you happy, I guess.”

Nemo just smiles, appearing pleased at Impey’s comment.

“Having wonderful friends like you and Polly-chan does make me happy! It makes me increeeeeedibly happy!”

“Are you really that thick…?” Impey mutters.

—–

“Cooking has become much easier for me now that I can properly hold the tools and ingredients,” says Cardia. “But still, it’s nice that these things are already made.” She’s piling sandwiches in a box to take over to the warehouse, a nostalgic smile on her face.

I look over her with a sheepish expression. “To be honest, Conseil takes care of most of my cooking…” but then I quickly perk up. “Oh! But I can reheat soup! And make salad!”

Cardia’s expression… it looks like she pities me.

Can’t really blame her for that.

Still, I find a need to defend myself.

“B-Baking is chemistry! I’m not a chemist! I’m a biologist! If you need a diagram of your turkey before you cook it, I’m your woman!” I protest, wringing a sandwich bag in my hands.

Cardia quickly takes the poor bag away from me and packages it. “If that’s ever needed, I’ll know just where to look.”

The warehouses really are a few quick steps from the cafeteria, and Cardia and I reach them in no time. We walk into one of the buildings and weave through the workers until we reach a roped-off area with a large blackboard. Graphs and papers are tacked up all along the walls, and both Barbicane and Nemo are leaning over a large drafting table.

Nemo looks so intense, it almost makes me not want to disturb him. But they’ve been working non-stop for many hours at this point, and who knows when they ate last.

“Impey,” Cardia speaks softly, and Barbicane looks over at her with a look of pure adoration.

“Cardia-chan! You look like a goddess come to relieve us poor souls of our earthly torments! It’s so sweet! Oh, Polly-chan, you came too!”

I quickly hold up a hand, laughing. “Please don’t call me ‘goddess’, I’ve had strange enough of a day.”

“Not to worry, not to worry!” Barbicane winks. “My super-duper lovey names are reserved for Cardia and Cardia alone! My one and only!”

The three of us laugh, only interrupted by–

“IIIIIIIIMMMMMMMPPPPPPEEEEEEEYYY BARBICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!!”

Nemo’s booming voice is so loud that the walls vibrate. Barbicane is mostly unaffected, though, and just rubs his head tiredly as Nemo continues.

“This is nooooooooooooooo time for distractioooooons! We have to keep on working if this is going to be a grand success! Where’s your passiooooon?! Your driiiiive?!”

“It’s in my dinner!” Barbicane triumphantly yells before shoving a sandwich into Nemo’s mouth.

“HRRK–?!”

“Nemo!” I run over to him and pat his back.

“He’ll be fine!” says Barbicane.

Barbicane knows his friend well. After a moment of unintelligible mumblings there’s a loud gulp, and Nemo springs right back to his usual, slouched self.

“Come on,” says Barbicane. “We’ve done enough work for one day. Our brains need fuel to work properly, you know that!”

“I suppooooose…” Nemo sighs, then turns to look down at me. For a moment, I can feel an almost physical silence, like he’s sizing me up.

But the moment passes, and that familiar smile reappears.

“Did you sleep well, Polly-chan?” he asks. “I hope I didn’t wake you this morning.”

“Oh, no,” I shake my head. “It was quite nice. In fact…” my face pales. “Your coat. I left your coat in my room!”

He waves a hand dismissively. “Saaaaaafe and sound, then, though admittedly I do feel rather off without my usual flaaaaaair. I’ll retrieve it tonight.”

Nemo does look different without the coat on. You can see just how slim he is, and how his beautifully his hips slope towards his long, long legs.

I’m getting distracted, so I breathe a sigh of relief when Nemo scuttles past me to scavenge some more sandwiches.

By the time the dust around the sandwich box has settled, both of the boys have a sandwich in each hand and are sitting cross-legged on the floor. It looks like some sort of strange bonding ritual that Cardia and I are imposing on.

“Nice not having bars in the way,” says Barbicane. “Hey, Polly-chan, come on! Let’s have a jailbird reunion! Ohhhh– I’ll make it even better! Since Cardia-chan is here, let’s make it a dinner double date!”

Cardia sighs. “Impey…”

“What? It’s a completely innocent invitation! Isn’t that right, Nemo?”

Nemo doesn’t miss a beat. “Of cooooourse! When you have an even number of friends, dates make peeeerfect sense!”

I don’t know about Cardia, but Nemo’s words calm me. Yes, ‘friends’. No pressure, no worries. I can express myself freely as his friend.

So the four of us sit in a circle and talk. Well, when I say talk, I mean it’s mostly Impey and Nemo excitedly chattering about the design progress.

That awkward glance between Nemo and I melt into the past, and soon the two of us are leaning against each other, my cheek against his slim shoulder and his cheek resting on my head. Nemo had invited the other two to join hands with us, but they each declined in their own way.

Is it selfish of me that I was a little relieved? Not that I wouldn’t mind holding Cardia, or maybe even Impey, but…

Like this, I could pretend that he and I…

My stomach turns when the thought crosses my mind. No, how selfish of me.

I instinctively squeeze Nemo’s hand to reassure myself. We’re here, we’re friends, and we should be happy. I should be happy with just that.

…

I was so afraid of this happening.

What if I allow my feelings to affect my dream? After all, our submarine won’t hold many people. If I let my feelings affect my performance this much…

I jump when I feel Nemo’s bare hand on my forehead.

“Warm…”

Is he checking my temperature? Oh no, I can feel my skin flushing!

“Warm… warmerrrrr………. hrm.”

Nemo twists his mouth in contemplation.

Nearby, Impey’s doing all he can to hold back from saying something, and even Cardia is trying to hold back a laugh.

I can’t move…

“Aaaah, one moment, Polly-chan, hold stiillllll….”

Thump.

He rests his forehead to my own to get a more accurate temperature reading.

I can see his long eyelashes under the goggles, and my face heats up more.

He’s so close. If I tilted my head back, I could kiss him.

Both of us just ate, though, so that wouldn’t be very good for either of us– why am I thinking about this?!

“It might just be fatigue, but….” Nemo eventually leans back. “Polly-chan! As of now you are under house arrest!”

I stare blankly at him. “Excuse me?”

“Impriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisonment!” he screeches. “You are under the strictest orders to go back and R-E-S-T until I deem you well enough to work!”

He isn’t taking no for an answer.

“But, I have to help—”

“Save the biology for the expedition itself! Right now, different sciences are in controoooooool!”

“But Finis–”

“MMMPH!” Nemo puts a gloved finger to my mouth. “Enough!” But then his eyebrow twitches and he removes his finger. “Myyyyyyyyy broooooooooootherrrr? What about him?”

I look helplessly at Cardia.

She smiles sympathetically. “He said he wants to have a meeting with her.”

“A meeting with myyyyyyy broo—”

“Please don’t,” Cardia quickly interrupts.

Nemo makes another displeased grunt.

“What about tea?” I ask.

“C-Cardia-chan and Polly-chan having a cute tea party, I want to goooo…” Barbicane sniffs.

“No,” Nemo states flatly, staring at Barbicane. “Work.”

“Cardia, you said that you wanted to have tea sometime. You, me, Nemo, and your brother…”

(“WHY WASN’T I INCLUDED?!” Barbicane protests.)

Cardia laughs lightly. “You want to see the look on his face when he sees Nemo there?”

I shrug. “Doctor’s orders are that I have to rest. Clearly, the logical situation would be for him to be there to make sure I don’t overexert myself. Isn’t that right?”

I can’t stop myself from pursing my lips mischievously as I look at Nemo and say, “Sen~sei~?”

He actually stumbles back, looking at me with eyes so wide I can see the white behind his goggles.

That was for the forehead thermometer move…!

He grits his teeth and finally manages to choke out. “IMPRISONMENT. REST. NOW. TEA. TIME. LATER.”

He sounds almost like a machine sputtering out orders. It’s cute to see him get flustered.

I stand up, still laughing, only to be half-dragged out of the warehouse by my ‘sensei’.

It’s funny, I can’t tell whether he was happy I called him that or not.

As we walk towards the bunks, I can hear him muttering: “Flushed expression, rising temperature, sweating, heart racing… it’s the only explanatiooooooooooon….!!!”

Perhaps I did too much. After all, jokes aside, he can never know how I really feel.

I just hope that I get enough control over myself that I’ll be cured of my ‘fever’ after some rest.

When we reach my room, I quickly open the door and dart inside.

“SLOOOOOOWLY!” I hear Nemo’s shrill voice behind me.

“Sorry,” I slow down my pace before picking up his jacket and bringing it back to him. “Thank you, Nemo. I still can’t believe I was holding onto you so tightly.”

Nemo quickly puts on the missing piece of his costume. He grins, pleased, but falters when he notices something. He picks up some of the fabric and brings it to his face, inhaling. “This scent…. Is it Polly-chan?”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I, uh, I use lavender oil to calm my nerves… I wore a lot last night to help with the anxiety of the jailbreak and the flight,” I look down sheepishly.

“….. It’s nice…” he whispers.

The two of us are quiet for a long time before Nemo lifts his hand and points to my room.

“Rest well, so that we might have more grand discussions of science!”

I shake my head, laughing. “Fine, fine… but I’ll be doing the same thing to you if you try to skip out on sleeping!”

I walk inside my room and look at Nemo one more time before closing the door.

—–

After Aronnax shuts the door, Nemo leans against it and presses his ear to the door. After a few minutes, he hears the shuffling of bedsheets, and then quiet. Satisfied that the Professor is obeying his orders, he turns around and leans his back against the door.

...

“Check me! Check me!”

“Hm? But I just checked you an hour ago. I don’t think you’ve developed a fever since then…”

A toddler giggles.

“Okay, okay… hold still…”

Thump.

“Hmm! Feels warm~”

“Kiss!”

“Ahh, you tricked me again, you rascal!”

The toddler is picked up and swept around, laughing merrily.

But no matter how tight he was held… that little boy would be swept away.

...

Nemo quietly puts a hand to his forehead. He can still feel the Professor’s warmth.

But not for long. He knows, for sure, that she’ll leave him soon. It always happens. Ever since that little boy– that little family was swept away, he could never hold onto anyone ever again. Even Isaac-sensei left him. The only constant in his life now is beautiful science.

How long would these precious friends last?


	10. Ceylon Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finis, Nemo, Cardia, and Aronnax settle in for some tea. Perhaps three of them remember the tea time they had before? But, what of the man that's missing from the reunion...

“You–? Why are you here?!”

Finis’ voice rings loud from the hall.

I sit up in my bed and look around. The lone window shows that the sun is beginning to set, casting a lavender hue over the beach.

I must have needed the rest more than I had thought. My mind feels clearer, though, and my confidence bolstered. I need to have faith in myself and in science. Yes… Nemo and I are both scientists. Surely, my love for science will overpower any foolish need of mine to confess my feelings. My goal must– no, my goal WILL come first. I will sail under the sea, I will cross the Atlantic by submarine!

And then the door bursts open.

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONSOIR MON AMI!”

I can’t stop myself from laughing as Nemo bounds in and stretches out his arms, striking a pose nothing short of triumphant… and ridiculous.

Behind him is Finis, silent and dour.

“Aronnax…” he looks right at me. “You have disobeyed me…”

Instead of looking like a bratty child, Finis actually looked rather frightening. I remember Cardia’s story, and all the things this boy is capable of doing.

“WROOOOOOOOOOOOONG!” Nemo swoops in to my rescue, pointing at Finis dramatically. “Polly-chan has been confined to her room under myyyyyyyyy orders! She has a strict prescription of bed rest, and the ooooooooonly way I could allow her to attend teatime is if her doctor was also in attendance!”

Finis’ face grew even darker as his lips pursed in annoyance. “Teatime…? You let this buffoon turn our meeting into teatime?”

Nemo once again comes to my defense. “Aaaaaactually, the architect of this event is the Homuncardia-chan!”

He pauses, then wrinkles his nose as if deep in contemplation.

“Cardia-chan!” he repeats.

“Sister…?” Finis slowly turns his head, looking over his shoulder. “Is that true…?”

“Yes,” Cardia walks in with a warm smile. “It’s all set up now. I had Impey help, so it really will feel like a party.”

“Him too…..?!” If Finis’ glare gets any sharper, I’m afraid we’ll all start bleeding.

Cardia shakes her head. “I thought it would be best if he continued to work on the submarine design, as… uh…” She looks to the side, as though she can’t say these words with a single hint of seriousness while looking at us. “He was ‘threatened under pain of a most agonizing death’.”

A pair of glinting goggles and a low “fwee hee hee” reveals exactly who made that threat.

This makes Finis’ posture relax, and he even smirks. “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped if it was Sister… still, Nemo.”

Finis stares coldly at the taller man.

“I had excluded you from this for your own sake. When you cry in pain, thank me for my generosity.”

Before Nemo can give another grandiose statement, I reach over and take his hand in mine. He looks at me with a confused “Mrrph?” and I smile before looking back at Finis.

“Nemo and I are partners,” I state as flatly as I can, despite my heart screaming. “If you wish to discuss this voyage with me, then he needs to be there, too.”

“Partners?!” Finis mouth stretches into a smile. “Oh, you poor thing! Maybe this will be more fun than I had anticipated…” with a sweep of his cape, Finis turns and departs.

As Cardia watches him leave, she hears him say: “Did you bring plenty of sugar, sister?”

She just sighs. “What do you think?”

Judging from the smile creeping on her face, Finis must have shot her a dirty look.

Cardia looks over at the two of us before walking over.

“Nemo?” her voice is quiet.

Nemo responds with another confused “Mrrph???”

“Thank you!”

Her smile is so sweet, and the roses of her cheeks are blossoming.

“H-huh?” Nemo looks around before pointing to himself with a confused expression.

“For saying my name,” Cardia continues. “You said it once before, back in the prison. I wasn’t certain then, but… now I am. You thought about it, and you meant to say my name.”

Her smile is so dazzling that I can feel my cheeks flushing again. At this rate, I’ll be given mandatory bed rest again.

But it’s okay, because Nemo’s blushing too.

“It’s….” he trails off before striking another pose (almost ripping my arm out of its socket, why didn’t he let go of my hand–?!). When he speaks next, his voice is strange, almost like a salesman’s. I don’t understand it.

“It’s the job of a scientist to observe new evidence and edit hypotheses in the search for truth!”

And, just like that, it’s back to its normal, booming self.

“An artificial life, yeeeees, but an individual nonetheless, soooo–!”

He triumphantly swings his free arm out. “The only logical conclusion would be to address you by the name that Isaaaaaac-sensei gave you: Car-di-a–chan!”

Nemo… he and Cardia have been through a lot together. I’m glad that he’s seeing her as more than a doll, more than a golem.

I think of giving his hand a squeeze in gratitude, but I think better of it. Cardia’s smile, Cardia’s beautiful smile is more than enough thanks.

“Well, I’m going to make sure my brother doesn’t eat all of the sweets. I’ll see you both there!”

Is it a coincidence that the sun finishes setting as she leaves our sight?

“Well…” I look around the dim room. “I had better get dressed. Can’t attend tea in my robe.”

“Fwee hee hee…”

That mischievous laugh of his again.

“Need some assistance, my friiiiiiiiiend~?”

This time it’s my turn to let out a confused noise. 

I had probably just misunderstood. I look up at him with a smile. “I’m fine, really. I…”

Why is he– why is he smiling like that?

He gently puts his hand on my shoulder, tracing the shape with his thumb.

My mind begins to race as he tilts my chin up with a long index finger, drawing my eyes to his obscured ones.

“You’re still so flushed, I think I need to examiiiiiiiiiine you more closely…”

My eyes are wide. I can’t move. I want so badly to throw my arms around him, to wrap myself around him completely.

He looks over my face with an amused expression and leans towards me, his black-painted lips moving closer to mine. I can feel his breath on my skin, but it isn’t enough. I want to feel the hot metal of his teeth scrape my flesh, I want so much more–!

I part my lips and let out a longing sigh.

But then he stops.

He pulls back, pats me reassuringly on the shoulder, and gives me an ‘okay’ symbol.

“Mmm-hmm! Check up is green! You’re all set for teaaaaaaa!”

I’m standing there staring ahead blankly.

“Don’t keep us waiting, Polly-chaaaaan~!” Nemo gives a wave as he exits, letting the door close behind him with a resounding slam.

I realize that the ache in my body won’t be satisfied, so I quickly push such thoughts out of my head and begin to get dressed.

Yes, he was just worried about me. He just wanted to check, to see if I had cooled off. He just… went about it strangely, like he does sometimes. That’s all.

… He smelled like lavender, though.

Was it just my imagination?

—–

Nemo makes it about halfway down the hall before he slumps against one of the walls. A sound escapes his mouth, and he claps his hand over it to stop himself.

There are tears running down his cheeks, yes, but the sound that he’s muffling doesn’t match.

It’s laughter. Hysterical laughter, contained only by his own hand.

'Now she knows! Now she knows a hint of that pain! That eternal, gnawing yearning for touch, for companionship–! This time, I was the one who took it away! Finally, I’m the one in control!'

But his laughter dies down soon after those thoughts race through his mind. He removes his hand from his mouth to inhale air, and instead what comes out is a choked sob.

'That expression on her face… such affection… for me! Nemo!'

He reaches behind his goggles and rubs his eyes.

'No one has looked at me like that since–'

He finally collapses to his knees, his hair falling over his face like a funeral shroud.

“I’m sorry…” Nemo cries. “I’m so, so sorry…”

—–

I walk into Cardia’s room to find both her and Finis already seated next to each other. The two chairs across from them were likely meant for Nemo and I. 

Nemo must not have arrived yet.

“Professor, would you like some tea?”

Looking at her, I realize why Impey is so in love. I smile in response. “Pauline.”

Cardia blinks a few times. “Excuse me?”

“‘Aronnax’ sounds a bit too formal for the two of us, doesn’t it?”

“Then, Pauline… please have a seat and join us,” says Cardia.

I sit down across from them and take a sip from the cup in front of me.

“It’s nice… is this Barbicane’s blend?” I ask.

“No,” I’m surprised that it’s Finis that speaks. “It’s from Ceylon. It’s just like the teatime we had back then, isn’t it, sister?”

“Impey said this was the best tea they have here. There was only a little,” says Cardia.

“Of course,” says Finis. “It’s because he left it for us.”

“Who?” I ask.

“Your so-called mysterious benefactor,” says Finis.

As if waiting for his cue (he very well might have been, knowing him) Nemo bursts into the room.

“Nemo, there you are! I guess you got tied up at the warehouse,” I say.

Ignoring the clinking of shaking porcelain, he bounds over and sits down next to me before immediately downing a cup.

“Mmm~ this refined flavor…” he slams the cup down onto his saucer. “MAGNIFICEEEEEEEEEEEEENT!!”

His voice sounds a touch hoarse. Just a touch, I’m a little surprised I even noticed it.

Finis looks up from his own teacup, a bored expression on his face.

“What were the terms that Aleister laid out for you?” asks Finis.

“Aleister? Ohh, Jiiiiiimmmy A. Aleisteeeeeeeeeer, my comrade-in-arms!”

“Try not to play the fool for once,” say Finis. “I know that Aleister is the one funding your little ‘voyage’.”

“Professor Aleister… was on the Nautilus too, wasn’t he?” I ask.

“That’s right,” says Finis. “That professor who you think saved your dream is just as rotten as the scientist sitting next to you.”

I frown and open my mouth to protest, but I feel Nemo gently thump my leg with his, and I quiet down.

“Hmmm….” Nemo speaks slowly. “Mooooost of us here were on the Nautilus, soooo… that ‘rottenness’ you speak of has suuurely spread to you!” He takes a moment to grin at Finis. “But that’s neither here nor theeeere… what I want to know is, why would it matter whether it was Aleister that sponsored us?”

“You idiot…” Finis mutters under his breath. “Have you not thought about it at all? The cost of research, building materials, a private island–? What could Aleister hope to gain from it?”

I look at Nemo, and he rests his chin on his hands, closing his eyes. “The conditions were anonymity, Fiiiiiinis.”

“Aleister may have helped me, but that doesn’t mean that he’s a good man,” says Finis. “Like I said before: he’s rotten, as snake-like as that tacky stick he carries. Weren’t you the one who said that you have to protect London, where your so-called precious friends live?” He scoffs, irritated that he even has to explain himself.

Nemo tilts his head curiously. “This isn’t like you, Fiiiiiinis. Why the worry?”

Finis blushes and looks away, pouting sullenly.

“M-My…”

Nemo and I lean in closer to the table.

“My sister………”

Finis glances at Cardia and scowls.

“It would be troublesome if something happened that made her cry.”

Cardia tries to lock eyes with her brother, but he turns away and crosses his arms.

I suck in my breath. If Aleister really is as wicked as they are saying, the new technology of a submarine powerful enough to cross the ocean would be terrifying in his hands.

It doesn’t look like Nemo is going to speak.

I have to make a choice…

I suck in my breath and say: “The conditions are that we have to give him the submarine after its maiden voyage. That… and anonymity.”

Nemo responds to my betrayal about as eloquently as imagined, shrieking loud enough to make the teacups rattle.

“He didn’t tell us why. I promise,” I finish. “He just said that it would ‘bring a new dawn to Steel London’.”

“W-W-W-W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOOOIIIINNNGGGG, ARONNAAAAAAAAAX?!?!” Nemo is wailing beside me.

“Nemo…” I pull out my handkerchief and lean over to wipe his cheek, but he jerks away with such force that he falls off the chair. I bend over to offer to help him up, but he just flails like a beetle stuck on his back.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” says Finis. “Aleister knew that he would be found out.”

He pauses to drop some sugar cubes into his teacup. As he watches them begin to melt, he looks up at us through half-lidded eyes and lets a smile stretch over his lips.

“After all, why else would he have leaked your identity to Victoria… your highness?”


	11. My Name is Nemo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is out, and a broken man shatters.

Nemo looks up from the floor at Finis, who just quietly stirs his tea, relishing the uncomfortable silence.

“The Lost Prince… but that was just a rumor, a fairy tale…” my voice trails off.

“Who told you that?” Finis says with a laugh. “Was it Nemo? The man who swears he lives his life honestly? You poor, poor thing!”

He pauses to take a sip.

“I’ll admit, you hid your past very well. Not even the Royal Society had any idea,” Finis continues, watching Nemo out of the corner of his eye. “Of course, Twilight knew.”

Nemo finally opens his mouth to speak. It sounds painful for him to talk.

“What are you talking about…?”

Finis sighs.

“Are you so intent on playing the fool? Or do you really not remember your life before Steel London?”

Nemo furrows his eyebrows, his mouth a thin frown.

“So stubborn…” Finis laughs lightly. “Well, maybe if I start calling you by your real name, you’ll remember? How about it, Prince–”

“That’s enough!” I stand up, glaring at Finis. I’m surprised that the porcelain hasn’t cracked it’s been jostled around so much by this point. “He clearly doesn’t want to talk about it!”

Finis rests his hand on his cheek, bored with my involvement.

“The relevant piece of information is that Professor Aleister was the one who told the Queen about Nemo’s identity. The identity itself doesn’t matter!”

“She’s right, Finis,” says Cardia.

“Mm…” Finis calms down when his sister chastizes him. “And after all the noise of before, it was so nice to make him silent…”

Nemo is still quiet. I gingerly reach out to put a hand on his shoulder, but he flinches away and shakes his head. I nod and sit back down in my chair.

“Aleister needed insurance,” says Finis. “So even if it ever got through your head that he might be doing something wicked, you wouldn’t be able to act against him. There’s no way for you to safely return to London now… Aleister has made himself the only safe option for you.” 

“Is there nothing you can do, Finis?” asks Cardia.

Finis closes his eyes. “Nemo’s identity is fact. It goes without saying that Queen Victoria would want ousted royalty under her thumb. She’s always been nervous about repercussions of her father’s colonizing. Frankly… I’m not sure there’s anything anyone can do.”

Finis raises his cup of tea to his lips and frowns when he sees it’s empty. He pours himself another cup and looks at me.

I try to take a sip of my own tea, my hands shaking. It’s lukewarm.

Cardia stands up and walks over to Nemo. She crouches down in front of him and offers him a plate of sweets. He smiles weakly, but shakes his head. Then, as Cardia begins to stand up, he darts out a hand and takes a cookie before stuffing the entire thing in his mouth.

“What made you go to Aleister in the first place?” Finis asks over the very loud (and somehow mournful-sounding) chewing. 

“Aleister came to me,” I say. “He appeared outside Saint Germain’s mansion. He said he knew about my situation and wanted to help.”

“Your situation?” Finis’ eyes dart up to me.

“There was a mix-up at the bank and my account was completely emptied. Though I couldn’t have afforded this extravagance, my funds would have gone a long way towards the completion of a submarine.”

“A mix-up?” Finis stares at me.

“My assistant told me. My bank confirmed that it was I who requested the funds to be withdrawn. I’m not sure what else it could have been,” I say.

“You really are a fool!” Finis barks. “Weren’t you suspicious at all?!”

This time it’s Finis’ turn to stand up and slam his hands on the table.

“It’s obvious! That was Aleister’s doing! He made you just as reliant on him as he did that moron crying over there!”

I feel like I’ve been submerged in ice. How could the thought have never occurred to me? It was too perfect a coincidence.

Eventually I close my eyes and lean back in my chair. I wanted to ask myself how I could have been so foolish, but I already knew the answer.

I was in love with a dream and the man I wanted to share it with.

And now, here we are. Trapped.

Nemo feebly feels around for his teacup from his position on the floor, and I slide it to him wordlessly.

“We’ll stop Aleister,” it’s Cardia who speaks. Her voice is clear and determined. “We’ll stop whatever plan he might have. If we expose his crimes, then maybe Queen Victoria will be willing to listen to reason.”

“Tch, my sister is so naive,” Finis scoffs. “Expose Aleister? You would have far too much trouble finding evidence, let alone finding the man himself.”

“Are you saying that you, the former head of Twilight, wouldn’t be able to?” Cardia looks over at Finis.

Finis frowns.

While the two siblings are discussing our fates, I find myself looking at Nemo. He’s hugging his knees to his chest and looking down at the floor with an expression so blank that it frightens me.

“Nemo…” I whisper towards him, not even sure if he can hear me. “I’m here for you. No matter what happens. I don’t regret a thing.”

“Are you even listening?” Finis suddenly barks at me. “Honestly, if you paid more attention to what was going on around you instead of that man, you might not be in this situation!”

My face reddens in embarrassment.

“Now, Sister, as you were saying…”

“Our best bet would be to contact Lupin and the others,” says Cardia. “They would surely help us investigate Alesteir.”

Finis closes his eyes. “Some might… Aleister, I’m afraid, has some connections with that party. It would be hard to get Van Helsing’s cooperation.”

He takes a macaron and daintily puts it in his mouth.

“How bothersome… I suppose it really is up to me, then. Criminy, the things I do for my sister! Very well, I’ll return to London in the morning to see if I can be more useful than these pathetic scientists and engineers.”

I stare at Finis. This sour little boy… even though the words coming out of his mouth are horrible, he’s offering to do something very kind for us.

“Finis… thank you,” I say. “I really didn’t expect you to help us.”

“Huuhhh?” Finis raises an eyebrow. “I told you, I’m doing this for my sister! Honestly, I couldn’t care less about you or that fool. Do what you want.”

I still can’t stop myself from smiling.

Finis shakes his head then stands up, looking over at Cardia.

“Sister… it pains to say this… but I think it would be best if you stayed on Lincoln Island.” Finis pauses to sigh. “I do not know the entire situation, and I do not know if I will be returning to danger.”

“I’m going with you, Finis,” says Cardia. “No matter what you say. We’re family, we’re sticking together.”

Finis lightly laughs. “You won’t take no for an answer, will you…? What a pain…”

Finis then turns to Nemo and I with an expression of frustration and disgust. “You may leave now, I have preparations to make. Take that pathetic prince with you.”

“Ne… mo…”

I look over at Nemo, who’s staring up at Finis.

“My name… is Nemo.” It’s a hoarse whisper, so different from the way he usually exclaims it.

Finis just shrugs.

“Come on…” I speak quietly. “Let’s go, okay?”

Nemo looks up at me before sniffing and climbing to his feet. He’s slouched even more than usual, almost down to my height.

“Do you need help walking?” I ask.

Nemo sniffs again and shakes his head before slowly waddling bow-legged out of the room.

I follow after him and close the door before looking at his swaying figure.

“Nemo…”

He perks up as he hears his name.

I hug myself and look at him, unsure of how to handle his current state of mind.

“Do you want to be alone right now?”

He slowly nods.

“I understand. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.” I offer him a gentle smile before I walk past him.

I feel something brush my hand as I pass, and I turn around.

Nemo’s hand is stretched towards me, shaking. His teeth are grit as though he’s in great pain, something unbearable.

“No…” he whispers. “I don’t…. I don’t waaaant to be aloooooone….”

I slowly reach out and take his hand before leading him into my room. He’s shaking so much that I doubt he could make it down the stairs in this state. I barely shut the door behind me before he crumples on top of me, leaning into me for support. It takes all of my strength to hold him up.

“Say it…” he’s barely audible. “’Nemo’…. say my name… please.”

I reach around and stroke the back of his head. “Nemo, the genius scientist who will reveal the truth of the world to the masses.”

I can’t reach my handkerchief like this, so when I hear him begin to sob, all I can do is hold him.

“Again…. please!!”

“Nemo… your name is Nemo.”

“A… Again…”

I don’t know how many times we repeat this, but soon I can’t hold him up any longer and I buckle, sliding down the wall and to the floor. He’s still in my arms, but shifts so he’s sobbing into my chest, clinging to me like I’m a stuffed toy.

He’s very emotional, but I haven’t seen him this bad before. It’s a long, long time before his sobs quiet and his breathing evens out. By this time, the room is dark with night and the only sound is made by the ocean outside.

I don’t know if Nemo is asleep, but I wouldn’t wake him up even if he was. I just continue to stroke his head, occasionally whispering his name like it were a lullaby.

“You don’t want to ask…?”

I look down, surprised by his voice.

“You aren’t curious…? About me… who I once was.”

I think about it.

I feel like I would be denying my scientific curiosity if I said I wasn’t curious at all, but if the truth made him cry this much, then…

I finally say: “I’m happy with Nemo.”

I feel him shift and lift his head to look up at me.

“Nemo is who you introduced yourself as to me, so that’s what I’m calling you,” I say. “Nemo is the one who made me a promise, Nemo is the one who always makes me laugh… Nemo is the one I…”

I bite my tongue and look away, feeling his eyes boring into me.

“Nemo is the one I…” I repeat. “The one I am proud to call my friend.”

“Pauline…”

I’m grateful for the darkness that hides my blushing cheeks. The way he said my name makes my heart ache.

It’s a funny reversal, him laying in my arms when the night prior I was the one in his.

But he moves and begins to stagger to his feet, mumbling. “I’d better get back…”

“No.” My voice is sharp and flat. I wish there was some light to glint off of my glasses, but alas, I can only convey my seriousness with my voice. “I’m not letting you leave tonight.”

There’s a sharp inhale, and finally I hear the voice I’m more used to.

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH? Don’t tell me……..”

I hear him move, and I can see his outline striking a pose. “House arreeeeeeeeeeeest?!”

I cross my arms. “Yes, exactly. I am sentencing you to bed rest. You need to sleep for at least eight hours before I let you get back to the warehouse! Doctor’s orders!”

He sighs. It’s a ridiculously long, drawn-out sigh that I can feel in my chest.

“Polly-chaaaaaaaan, you’re so cruel to keep me from the sweeeeeeet call of science,” he says.

“Oh, stop it,” I say as I stand up. “You know perfectly well that a scientist needs their rest to focus. Come on.”

I walk to my bed, then hesitate.

“Do you…” I swallow before repeating the same words I said before: “Do you want to be alone right now?”

He’s quiet, but soon I hear the sound of fabric shifting, and I freeze.

But as my eyes adjust to the darkness, I see him laying his coat out on my writing desk. The goggles follow, and finally his gloves and boots. That’s all.

“… Thank you, Polly-chan.”

It’s remarkably easy for us to lie down next to each other again. I’m certain this time that his hair smells like lavender, and as I hold him to my chest I breathe it in deeply.

But I’m lying to myself. Friends usually don’t embrace like this or tangle hands and limbs like this. Conseil and I often shared a tent, but we were isolated in our privacy.

Nemo probably just has no sense of personal space and I, a love-sick fool, am taking advantage of it.

“Nemo…”

He makes that strange noise, like a cat does when you wake them up.

“Do… do you think friends do this?” a bead of sweat trickles down my neck as I try to think of how to word it. “Do friends hold each other like this?”

There’s a long stretch of silence.

Then, a snore.

“Oh, Nemo…” I sigh, thanking the stars above us that I’m a heavy sleeper. I close my eyes and whisper: “I will do everything I can to protect you, Nemo… and this life you’ve created for yourself. I don’t know what you went through, but… I will shield you.”


	12. If It's For Science...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nemo has been comforted by Aronnax's words, and decides that it might be fun to tease her some more. Of course, it's all a joke, right?

I have mentioned previously that I’m a heavy sleeper.

This was fortunate, as it’s been made obvious by this point that Nemo is not only loud when he is awake, but also when he’s asleep.

I slept through his snores, but I groan as soon as I feel his warmth move away from me.

I feel a soft weight on me, and realize that Nemo has once again let me use his jacket as a replacement companion.

Then, a few soft strands of his hair touch my cheek, and I feel his breath on my ear.

“Sleep well.”

The softness of his voice makes me burn.

He strokes my hair until I relax again, like I was a small child being lulled to sleep.

But this isn’t time for me to sleep.

“It hasn’t been eight hours…” I murmur.

Nemo quickly takes his hand away from my head.

“Polly-chan….” he whines. “The sun is already uuuuuuup. Don’t tell me you’re still feeling feveriiisshhh…”

Not wanting to risk more ‘bed rest’, I sit up and look over at him.

He hasn’t put on his goggles yet, so I can see him in the full sunlight coming in through the window.

He’s agonizingly beautiful, and I feel my chest tighten.

“Bonjooooooour~” though the disparity between his appearance and his booming voice is startling, that wide smile can belong to no one else but Nemo. “Did you sleep well, my friend?”

“I did,” I reply. “How are you feeling, Nemo?”

Nemo’s still smiling, but his eyes look incredibly sad. “Some things will take more than a night of sleep to heal, but it’s remarkable what a soft bed and bosom com~pan~ion can do.”

I return his sad smile and pick up his jacket. When I offer it to him I say, “I know that there will never be anything I can do to truly take away your pain, but… please know that I’m here for you. I always will be.”

Nemo shakes his head. “Thank you, but… please, don’t say ‘always’. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Aronnax. We never know what will greet us with each sunrise…”

He sounded so incredibly sad, so it’s a bit of a shock when he suddenly jumps up and screeches, “EXCEPT FOR SCIENCE!! My COOOOOONSTANT COMPANION! Yes! From the morning birdsong to the rosy huuuuuuuuuue of the clouds, it’s all GLOOOOOOORIOUS SCIENCE!”

He stretches out his arms and happily does a spin before leaning down and facing me. “Well, what do you say? Shall we get staaaaarted?”

“With that enthusiasm, how can I say anything but ‘yes’?” I say. I begin to hand him his jacket when a thought occurs to me. “By the way… have you been wearing lavender oil lately?”

Nemo grins. “Hmmm~ that’s another beautiful product of science, isn’t it?”

I smile and hand the jacket to him. “Thank you for this. I had no idea I was so… clingy in my sleep.”

“Ahahahahahaaa!! We have so little control over ourselves when we sleep that we can’t help but express our innermost desiiiiiires…”

Nemo walks over to my writing desk where he’s folded the clothes he discarded before bed.

“Fuhuhuhuhu… so Polly-chan’s innermost desire is to be su-per cu–te ❤!”

I fling a pillow at him (”WAGHH!”).

“Now you’re just teasing me! Come on, there’s work to be done!” I throw off the bed covers and stand up.

“Mm-hmm, riiiiight right…” Nemo pulls his hair over his shoulder and begins to roll his shirt up.

Ah.

Yes, he’s definitely taking off his shirt.

“W–W– WHAT ARE YOU DOING—???” my voice echoes through the room before I can stop myself.

“Hrrmm?” Nemo has his shirt around his head now before pulling it off (he even provides the ‘pop’ sound effect when his head reappears).

Society dictates I should look away, and I do, but… the image is already burned in my mind.

He’s so slim, with a beautiful stomach and chest toned by years of tinkering and carrying heavy pieces of metal. His navel is pierced, which shouldn’t surprise me given the heavy modification on his face, and yet I’m surprised all the same.

I’m also surprised to see how low his pants are cut. His hips are slim, but still have a feminine curve that add to his allure.

I know I’ve said it before, but he’s absolutely stunning.

“Polly-chaaan….”

I slowly look back at him, my mouth set even as my cheeks heat up.

His smile is way, way too wide.

“Don’t tell me……… you’re absolutely speeches because of my STUUUUUUUUUUUNNING PHYSIIIIIIQUEEEE???”

He slams one of his feet on the chair and points triumphantly into the sky.

“I… I’m really more curious as to why you’re undressing in my room,” I manage to stutter.

“Ehhhh?” Nemo takes a step back. “I’m going to go freshen up in the showers, of coooooourse!”

“Oh, o-of course…” I look away again. “Um…..”

He leans over so he’s at my height, looking at me with a grin too wide for his face. “Polly-chan has studied anatomy, hasn’t sheeeee….? My, for you to still be so innocent… our bodies are crafted by S-C-I-E-N-C-E–! It’s only naturaaaaaaaaal!”

What happened to our serious conversation earlier?! And what, exactly, is natural about navel piercings?! He has no business looking this attractive while laughing so loudly!

“Yes, I know that,” I finally mumble. “But this situation is different, you know that.”

“Hrrrmmmmm~~”

I swallow nervously when he puts his hand on my chin and lifts my face up.

“Pro~fessor~ we’re going to be sailing deeeeeeeeeep under the waves, just the t-w-o of us…” He’s leaning closer to me now. His skin is beautiful in the rays of light streaking through the window. “Of course, since you’re a biologist… in the pursuit of science…..”

He leans in closer so his lips are brushing my cheek.

“Do~ you~ want~ to~ see~ more~?”

I can’t believe I’m hearing this. My ears are ringing. Is he testing me? Teasing me? Trying to distract me from what I learned yesterday? Or is it truly because he thinks it would help my anatomical diagrams?

When I first try to speak, the noise that comes out of my mouth sounds like the singing of a boiling teakettle.

….

Either he didn’t hear it or he’s ignoring it. Which is good, for my sake.

I take a deep breath and answer him as honestly as I can.

“I… don’t think that sort of situation would be in the pursuit of science…”

He quickly stands back up and gives a shrug. “Of coooourse– on an island with such gorgeous flora and fauna, why limit yourself to human anatomy? Go, make discoveries and walk alongside me in our respective disciplines!”

He gives me a thumbs up before turning around to walk out.

…..

His pants are cut just as low in the back.

I’ll never understand his eccentric fashion, but in that moment I can’t help but thank his tailor.

“Oh! Take your clothes with you!” I grab his boots and run out after him.

Cardia is standing there, watching us silently as I shove his clothes at him.

“GOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOORNING, Cardia-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN~” The walls vibrate once again with the noise. “It’s a beeeaaauuutiful day for SCIENCE!” He waves with his free hand. “Well, I’ve dilly-dallied long enough! ONWWAAAARRRDDD!”

He practically prances down the stairs towards the mens’ bunks.

“C… Cardia….” I look at her helplessly, willing her, praying for her not to say anything.

“Good morning….” she says. “Hm…”

I feel my head sink at the uncertainty in her voice.

“He… really does remind me of Impey at times,” says Cardia. “Don’t tell him I said that, though.”

I look at her with an expression of gratitude and nod.

Then, she looks at me sympathetically. “Were you able to get any sleep last night? I heard lots of crying, and then….”

She closes her eyes, and I notice that there are dark bags under them.

“Lots of…. snoring……….”

“Oh no, Cardia, I had no idea! Were you able to get any sleep?”

Cardia smiles. “Not as much as usual, but I’ll be all right. When I get back from London, I’ll see if Impey can create an invention that will help me.”

“Right…. London…” I sigh. “I still can’t believe I was so foolish. Now I have to rely on the kindness of you and Finis, I’ll never be able to truly pay this debt.”

Cardia shakes her head. “Pauline, we’re friends. All of us. Friends don’t worry about things like ‘debt’. Besides… I feel like Finis feels somewhat responsible, since he and Aleister worked together.”

She hides her laughter with her hand. “And don’t tell him I told you this, but he’s actually quite worried about Nemo, in his own way.”

My eyebrows rise so quickly that my glasses start to slide off of my face. Cardia quickly moves forward and straightens them before they can fall to the floor.

“He’s worried about Nemo? Really?”

Cardia’s smile falters. “He said that… he said that Nemo and my father, Isaac Beckford… while he could never compare the two of them, they went through similar situations.”

Cardia looks so sad. I want to hold her and take away her pain, too.

“I don’t know about Nemo’s past, but if Finis feels that way, then I’m glad he has someone looking after him. No one… no one deserves to be alone.”

“Cardia… I think Barbicane might be right about you. You really are an angel,” I say.

Cardia shakes her head. “Impey says a lot of things, but he’s never really serious. Sometimes I wonder…”

I tilt my head, but she looks away.

“It’s nothing. I had better go check on my brother. You’ll see us off later, won’t you?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” I say. “Though I must admit, I’m grateful not to be on that ship myself!”

Cardia is such a good person. The fact that anyone called her a ‘monster’ shows just how backwards the world still is. Even Isaac Beckford…

I can’t help but wonder what similarity Finis was talking about. Hearing such a thing would probably make Nemo very happy, he idolized Beckford so much.

But right now isn’t the time for that.

Now that I have a bit of free time, I want to take a look at the island we’re on. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to go out into nature and sketch all the beautiful things I see!

—–

Not long after Cardia and I spoke, I’m walking along the beach closest to the barracks, journal in hand. I left my boots by the building so I could feel the soft sand in-between my toes.

My goal right now is to see if I can find any tide pools, which are always brimming with fascinating life. Luckily it’s low tide, so these thriving ‘cities’ will be easy for me to spot. I would be exceptionally grateful to find a tide pool in the lower littoral zone, only exposed in exceptionally low tides, but it looks like the ocean is working against me. I’ll be happy, though, if I can just find a bed of the mussels that I saw workers dining on yesterday. Some of my first sketches were of mussels I found by the ocean, so it would be nostalgic for me.

As I walk along the beach, I find myself walking closer to the shoreline so the cool water can run over my feet.

I love the sea.

The extreme diversity churning inside of it is something beautiful, not something to be feared. It’s an entire world, muted in sound but not in color, untouched by man. Pristine and calm, a cradle of life and death passing in liquid space.

To me, that is true serenity.

But my musings are interrupted by splashing, and I see a terrestrial creature I was not expecting. Running fast and eager along the sand, bounding towards its master.

It is a greyhound, lean and blue.

“Top! Over here!”

Cyrene Smith is waving and splashing, happily playing with her four-legged companion. However, she underestimates the greyhound’s strength and falls backwards into the shallow water. She laughs loudly as the greyhound bounces around her, barking and licking her while wagging its tail.

“Top, Top, have mercy! Mercy!” Smith’s laugh is loud and full, brimming with joy.

I walk over towards her, holding my sketchbook close to me in case the dog decides to bounce on me next.

However, the greyhound is devoted to its master, and appears unwilling to stop licking her face.

“Oh– oh, Professor Aronnax!” the young woman attempts to stand up, but the dog has not yet finished its loving assault. Finally, Smith says, “Top, off!” and the dog obediently jumps aside, wagging its tail.

“Good boy, Top,” says Smith as she stands up and begins to brush sand off of the back of her trousers. “Glad to see you out here, Professor. Taking a mid-morning stroll?”

“Actually, I was on the hunt for tide pools,” I respond. “But it looks like I might be out of luck, the beach around here is so sandy.”

“Yeah, if you want a rocky coast you’d probably have more luck on the other side of the island. It’s a bit of a long walk, but if you want I’ll go with you.”

I shake my head. “Thank you for the offer, but I want to stay close to the warehouse.”

Cyrene crosses her arms and looks at me with a grin.

“In… case they need me.”

Cyrene shifts her weight from one foot to the other, still grinning.

“…. For business.” I finish flatly.

“Right, right, business,” says Smith. Then, her expression perks up when she sees something. She smiles eagerly and waves. “Oh, Professor Nemo, taking a break?”

I quickly turn around, only to hear Smith burst out laughing.

Of course, no one is there.

“You should have seen the look on your face, Professor Aronnax!!” Smith cackles, slapping her knee. “Your face went sooooo red!”

I look back at her and lightly splash her with my foot.

“Oh, it’s a splashing you want, huh?” Smith grins before running towards me.

I quickly hold my journal above my head. “I surrender, I surrender! Don’t get my journal wet!!”

Smith slows down until she’s right in front of me. Then she looks at the journal and pouts. “Oh, darn… that’s not fair, using your research materials as defense…. huh?”

Smith narrows her eyes, looking into the distance.

I’m not falling for it this time, just glaring at her.

“Professor, really…”

The tone in her voice makes me turn around.

It looks small, but that’s definitely… definitely what it appears to be.

“What is a hot air balloon doing all the way out here…?” asks Smith.


	13. Visitors from the Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two stunning women land in a hot air balloon, and one of them demands that she be led to Nemo. Who is she, anyway...?

“It’s most definitely headed this way,” says Smith, looking at the red dot floating through the sky.

“Do you think they’re in distress?” I ask, standing next to her. “They’re so far from any continent!”

“Doesn’t look like it,” says Smith. “Their flight is too smooth, and it looks like the balloon is still in condition… though of course I can’t see the details from up here.”

She puts a hand to her chin. “Fascinating. Professor Aleister has sent people by ships both aerial and nautical, but I’ve never had a visitor by hot air balloon. How nostalgic!”

Smith turns around and begins to walk back to the warehouses. “We need to be prepared for when they land. The Professor hasn’t communicated with us since you arrived, and given their mode of transportation… I doubt they’re one of us. It also doesn’t look like they found us by chance.”

My eyes narrow.

“They must have followed our airship…” I murmur. “If they’re from London…”

Instinct taking over, I run ahead of Smith, not even taking the time to put my boots back on.

I burst into the warehouse with so much force that Barbicane looks up from where he was working. “Wow, good timing, Polly-chan! The blueprints have been finalized and–”

“We’re in trouble, Barbicane,” I interrupt. “Smith and I saw a hot air balloon headed this way.”

“A hot air balloon? You’re worried about a hot air balloon?” Barbicane raises an eyebrow.

“If they’re from London, they might have been sent by the Queen, or worse.”

Barbicane stands up from the table and stretches. “I can tell you this, Polly-chan. Even if Queen Victoria sent it, it couldn’t do much. I haven’t heard of any cannon-wielding hot air balloons.”

“But if they confirm where this island is located–”

Barbicane pats me on the head. “Hey, hey, worrying isn’t going to help any. You’re cuter when you smile, anyway!”

“Why aren’t you listening to me?!” I exclaim.

Barbicane looks at me, at my serious expression. Then, he sighs.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go see this hot air balloon. Hey, Cyrene, stay back here, will you? If Nemo gets back with the supplies, tell him that his girlfriend is distracting me from science.”

I drag my hand down my face. What will it take for him to be serious, for even a moment?

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time to wait around,” says Smith. “Hot air balloon or not, I agree with Professor Aronnax. Besides, if they are friendly, or need help… I want to be ready to welcome them.”

“Woooow, Cyrene, you look so cool saying things like that!” Impey grins.

A thought occurs to me.

“Barbicane… when’s the last time you’ve gotten a decent amount of sleep…?”

Barbicane just looks at me with a confident smile on his face. “I wanted to get these blueprints done, I didn’t have time for sleep. Honestly, I’m surprised that even Nemo–”

“That’s because I ordered him to!” my words are sharp. “And you’re next, Barbicane. If these visitors are no threat to us, then you are getting some sleep! Honestly, when did it become vogue for scientists to work on fumes? Tch!”

But at least he is following me outside now, walking next to Smith. Instead of heading down to the beach we walk up the metal steps built into the cliffside to get a better look at the hot air balloon.

The balloon has started to descend, and Smith pulls out a pocket telescope to get a closer look at the riders.

“I can’t see many details,” she says. “But it looks like there’s just two of them– oh, they’re waving! Maybe you don’t have to worry after all, Professor!”

But as I cross my arms and look up at the balloon, I feel anxiety clawing at my insides, trying to tell me something.

—–

An hour passes, and Smith clears the area for the hot air balloon to make a safe landing.

A small crowd has gathered to watch the new visitors, Cardia among them. Though Barbicane did admittedly look curious, he went back to the warehouse as soon as I let him (”Wait for me, my angel! My goddess! Cardia-chan!!”).

When I ask Cardia about Nemo, she smiles at me and says: “He told me that his time is too valuable to worry about tourists floating down from the sky.”

“Those boys, how can they be so carefree…” I sigh.

All of our eyes are drawn to the balloon as it finally touches the ground. The first person to climb out of the basket is a tall figure dressed in an elegant tailcoat and top hat. Their silver hair glints white in the bright sun, but their face is beautiful and youthful. With a swift motion they open their pocket watch and give a slight smile when they see the time.

“Right on schedule, as predicted.” Their voice is even and dry, but it still possesses a feminine quality. They turn to the second person in the basket and offer them their arm.

The second person to exit is a woman so stunning that clouds have to hide the sun so her glory doesn’t blind us. Dark curls frame her face and a delicate golden chain hangs from her ear and attaches to her nose. Everything about her, from her confident stance to the affectionate look she gives her partner, makes it clear that she is nobility.

When she steps on the ground, she calmly takes her partner’s arm and addresses those of us who have gathered:

“Where is the man who created the abomination that lorded over London’s skies a year ago?” Her voice is deep and resonates inside my chest.

“She must be talking about the Nautilus,” Cardia whispers.

My body gets cold, and Cardia takes my hand when she notices.

“Welcome!” says Smith, her voice jovial despite suspicion crossing her eyes. “You get right to business, don’t you? May I ask who you might be and… why exactly you’ve come all the way here?”

The silver-haired figure nods. “If that will expedite things, then certainly. I am Philomena Fogg, devoted wife and traveler.”

“And I am Aouda,” says the dark-haired woman. “Devoted wife and explorer.”

They move closer to each other and clasp their hands before Fogg continues. “I am here at my beloved’s request. When news of the prison break at Buckingham Palace reached the London Reform Club, she told me that she had to find the escapee.”

“And so I ask again,” says Aouda. “Where is the man who created that hideous ship that eclipsed London?”

My eyes dart down to the revolver hanging on Aouda’s hip.

“Cardia,” I whisper. “Go warn Nemo. Tell him to hide.”

Cardia doesn’t hesitate, she simply nods and discreetly makes her way back through the crowd. I’m incredibly grateful for this.

I take a deep breath and step forward, standing beside Smith.

“That’s quite an impressive feat, coming all the way from London in a hot air balloon. May I ask how you managed it?” I ask.

“I don’t believe that’s necessary,” says Fogg.

“You must forgive her,” says Aouda. “She can be blunt at times. I promise you, it was a grand adventure. However, every moment I speak with you, that man gets farther away. Please…”

Her voice turns gentle.

“Please, this is very important to me… and my family.”

I look at Aouda again. A noblewoman from another country, could she possibly…?

But that revolver.

“I understand,” I say. “However, you must in turn understand my uncertainty when you come to us armed.”

“So, you’re saying the one who put London, no, the world itself in danger… we shouldn’t come at him prepared for the worst?” Fogg narrows her eyes in my direction.

I smile slightly. She is right, after all. Anyone in their right mind would be very cautious when they approach Nemo.

But… if that’s what it means to be ‘sane’, then I must say no thank you!

I take off my glasses and look at the two of them.

“My name is Pauline Aronnax, former professor at Université P——. I have placed not only my life’s work, but my personal reputation on the shoulders of the man you seek. I trust him and am proud to call him a friend! If you mean to harm him… I will not let you anywhere near him!”

Aouda looks me up and down, then she finally smiles. “How strong-willed… I’m glad, really.”

“Aouda?” Fogg looks over at her.

Aouda shakes her head. “It’s nothing, just thinking about her.”

Fogg puts her arm around Aouda’s shoulder worriedly, and Aouda leans into her before reaching down and unattaching the holster from her waist. She takes a few steps forward and sets it down before stepping back.

“There, now,” says Aouda. “Is that permissible?”

Cardia has likely had enough time to deliver her message by this point. Hopefully, Nemo has escaped.

“Yes, thank you,” I say. “Now, if you come with me…” My voice trails off as I hear a …. a strange buzzing in my ear.

“POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…”

Ah, it’s getting louder.

“LLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY….”

Oh no. Oh no, no no. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t…

“CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—NNNN!!”

I turn around to confirm that he, in fact, would.

The crowd is parting for Nemo, who’s toting a ridiculously large cannon over his shoulder. Behind him is Barbicane, doing his best to stop Nemo from blowing up the entire island.

When Nemo reaches us, he slides in front of me and aims his cannon at his foes.

“IfyoueventhinkaboutlayingahandonmypreciousprofessorIwillmakesurethatyouflywithoutneedofaballoon!!”

……

I really have no idea what he said, but it sounded very passionate. His teeth are bared, lips tight, spit flying. Honestly, it’s a little frightening.

I expect Aouda to jump for her revolver, or maybe to duck and hide, but she just looks at him calmly.

No, she’s looking at him pityingly.

“So it really is you,” her voice is quiet. “I thought I had recognized you, but I didn’t want to believe it. Just how much of you is left in there…”

When Nemo hears Aouda speak, his body spasms like he had been struck by lightning. He takes a staggering step back and the cannon drops to the ground with a crash.

“Nemo?!” I hold onto his arm, making sure that he doesn’t collapse. For him to suddenly drop a piece of machinery like that…

His expression is calm, his lips parted as his breathing slows down to an even rate.

His mouth moves like he’s saying something, but no words come out.

Aouda walks up to him and tilts her head as if examining him.

“So this is what you’ve become…” her calm face twitches, and she bites her lip before shouting: “And you call yourself a man?!”

Before I can separate them, Aouda lunges forward with a right hook and slams her fist into Nemo’s jaw.

Poor Nemo goes flying backwards with a pitiful yelp, tumbling over himself a few times before sprawling out on the sand.

“Nemo!!” Forgetting Aouda, I run over to Nemo and kneel down next to him.

“Ughh…” he slowly lifts himself off the ground, and I gasp when I see blood drip into the sand. His lip is split and his jaw is already bruising from the impact. Even his goggles have cracked, and I can see his eyelashes quivering as he forces himself to his feet.

“Be careful, Nemo…” I dart under his arm so he can lean on me.

I’m not sure he heard me. He’s doing his best to stand on his own, not leaning on me at all. Without a word, he lets go of me and turns around.

“So… this is it, huh.”

I feel my skin prickle. His voice…

I look up at him. One of the lenses of his goggles has fallen out, showing his eyes narrowing as he looks upon Aouda.

“Pauline Aronnax.”

I jump. He sounds so… impossibly cool. Quiet. Serious. It’s so strange. I can't believe that this voice is coming from Nemo...

He’s still looking at Aouda as he addresses me.

“It’s a terribly selfish thing of me to ask…. but will you consider joining me for tea?”

He looks so different like this. He isn’t slouching at all, standing tall and staring quietly ahead with a sad, serene smile on his face.

“The thought of me facing this on my own…” he pauses to chuckle and wipe the blood from his mouth. “Is more frightening than even a world without Isaac-sensei. Pauline, Cardia, Impey Barbicane… Finis… I want all of you to have tea with me. It’s only then that I can face her.”

He nods towards Aouda.

“Face her… and everything that she represents.”

He’s frightening. Laughing madly, grinning with a too-wide smile, shrieking… none of it compared to this. This man… this is the most frightening I have ever seen him.

My hands are shaking as I clasp them to my chest and nod.

“I will, Nemo.”

“Ah…” his voice breaks, and he laughs in pain. “Please, keep that name close to your heart. Please, always… remember me as ‘Nemo’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Philomena Fogg is based off of Phileas Fogg from Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days". He's a robot-like man who times his schedule to the very second and once fired a valet for serving his water at the wrong temperature. He makes a bet with his peers that he can go around the world in eighty days. 
> 
> Aouda is based off of Aouda from the same story. One of Jules Verne's few lady characters, Fogg rescues her during his trip and she accompanies him around the world. After their journey is over, she proposes to him and they are happily married.


	14. Dakkar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is this man sitting in front of them? He calls himself "Nemo", but... 
> 
> It's time for the truth behind the fairy tale to come to light. But this fairy tale is, in fact, a tragedy.

Finis is waiting for us, seated with his legs crossed. When he sees our group enter, he laughs.

“So the carnival of misfits increases! If I had known this tea party would have such a group, I would have requested a larger table.”

I’m surprised that the drawing room has already been set up with an intimate round table and chairs. The white tablecloth has been set with fine china covered in delicate floral patterns. The most spectacular part, likely for Finis, at least, is a three-tiered carousel of macarons sitting in the middle of the table.

“Finis, how did you know…?” asks Cardia.

Finis rests his hand on his cheek with a sigh. “I heard that lunatic shrieking like a madman on the beach and got curious, so I watched the proceedings from afar.”

He darts his eyes over to Nemo.

“And then I saw you had somehow changed. I figured there would be a request for teatime shortly after.” He plucks up a macaron and holds it delicately in-between his fingers. “Tell me, Nemo. Have you finally decided to stop playing your game?” He squeezes the macaron in-between his fingers, its jam innards being forced out under the pressure.

“Hmmm~” Nemo’s voice takes on his sing-song lilt, but soon it turns serious once more. “Now is no time for games, Finis.”

“Man, it weirds me out when he talks like that,” Barbicane mutters to Cardia. “And I thought I’d never get used to his screeching!”

Nemo peers at Barbicane over his shoulder and gives a self-deprecating smile, “I don’t like this any more than you do.” He looks at the table that has been set out and walks around, pulling out a seat for Aouda.

As she sits down and he pushes her chair in, he murmurs: “If it were up to me… none of you would have to hear me like this.” He closes his eyes and looks away from the group. “It hurts so much…”

Finis and Cardia. Aouda and Fogg. Impey, myself, and… ‘Nemo’… we’re all seated around the table, so close together that our knees are touching.

“You don’t have to do this,” I say as Nemo begins pouring the tea. “You can stop and we can go back. None of us will ask questions, and…”

Nemo gently holds a finger to his lips to silence me.

“Have you really not discussed what happened with your friends?” Aouda narrows her eyes. “It’s been so long. If only I had found out that you were alive sooner–”

Nemo turns to Aouda and makes the same signal, requesting silence. He takes a deep breath and takes off his broken goggles, placing them on the table in front of him.

He looks so sad. What I wouldn’t give in that moment to take his pain from him and put it on my own heart!

He looks at all of us through half-lidded eyes, but despite his solemn figure he is fidgeting with his goggles, twisting and untwisting the screws with his metal fingernails.

“The prince is dead,” he whispers. “For me to begin, I need all of you to understand this. The… person… I once was… is no more. He died with his family.”

Aouda looks like she wants to say something, but Fogg takes her hand and gently kisses it before whispering: “Save your thoughts for after we’ve heard everything.”

Nemo nods in gratitude.

“I suppose it’s best to begin with my name,” he says. He shakes his head with a light laugh. “It feels so strange to say it like this, after all this time. No frivolities. No theatrics. Just… my name.”

He falls silent for a long time, staring at the goggles he’s begun taking apart.

Then, in perfect English: “My name is Dakkar.”

He pauses, letting the silence fill the room again.

“Nothing shattered… nothing changed…” Nemo smiles. “I’m still me, aren’t I~?”

“Nemo…” I whisper.

He hums, satisfied, and takes a sip of tea. It’s nice to see him smile again, even if it is a nervous one.

“Queen Victoria was right about one thing. I… was a prince, once,” he continues.

Barbicane begins to choke on his macaron, and Cardia pats his back until he can breathe again.

Nemo quickly pours Barbicane another cup of tea before pushing it towards him. “Here, it should make breathing easier.”

Wheezing, Barbicane downs the entire cup in one gulp before looking at Nemo.

“Are you– you said… are you serious?”

Nemo doesn’t respond, instead choosing to go back to tinkering with his goggles. He fiddles in one of his pockets before pulling out a tiny screwdriver and beginning to work.

“I was the son of the Raja of Bundelkhand, a mountainous area in central India,” he states flatly.

My eyes widen with realization.

“The colonization of that country. That’s why Victoria felt threatened… you’re Indian royalty…”

“Was,” Nemo corrects me. “When Britain came, I was stripped of my title. But… that all seems so insignificant… I’d give up any title, just to…”

Nemo clenches his fists and grits his teeth, letting a wave of anguish pass over him. When it begins to subside, he takes a deep breath and looks at Aouda.

Aouda slowly nods at him.

“I…” Nemo swallows, his voice quiet and pathetic before he speaks up. “I was sixteen when I met my fiancee. I…” he grips his goggles in his hands. “I….!”

Aouda reaches out and takes his hand before speaking: “Their love was like nothing I had ever seen. To say that their betrothal was anything but providence would be disrespectful to her memory. How I envied my dear cousin, to have found such a love!”

Nemo is sobbing into his free hand, overcome with the memory of his beloved. The other one is clinging to Aouda across the table like he will spiral into insanity if he lets go.

And here I am, my insides tightening in my own anguish. Sympathy of course, but tinted jade with a selfish jealousy! I feel sick to my stomach when I realize this.

What a disgusting person I am, to feel any hint of jealousy when he’s clearly being torn apart by grief!

But this isn’t about me, not in the least. Right now I have to listen to what Nemo is saying. No matter what, I’ll be there for him. No matter how I feel, it’s nothing compared to the pain he’s experiencing.

No one is saying anything, the only sound in the room is Nemo’s pained sobs. Even Finis, who usually looks so sour, is staring down at his tea cup with a conflicted expression.

When Nemo calms down, he lets go of Aouda’s hand and sits back up. “The most beautiful moment of my life was when I saw my wife holding our newborn children. Twins… two little boys, with hair and eyes as dark as their mother’s.”

He inhales sharply.

“Even the Nautilus, what most people would consider to be my grandest creation, is nothing compared to the family she and I made…”

He closes his eyes, a nostalgic smile on his face.

Barbicane looks lost, like he can’t believe the story he’s hearing. On the one hand, Nemo’s anguish is real, but to look at the man we know and see a father and husband… it’s almost impossible.

The Nemo we know and ‘Dakkar’… the difference between them is great, but when he smiled in memory of his family, I could see it. I could see that same joy there. He must have loved them with as much passion as he now loves science.

“What a horrible story…” Cardia whispers.

Nemo nods. “Britain took away everything I love… all that was left for me was the glow of science. I couldn’t stop it from harming my family… I guess I, I guess I just wanted to see how it happened. What could create something like that? I had studied the sciences before, of course, but nothing like this. I was… curious, no… obsessed. The day my family– not just my wife and children, but my mother, my father, my little sisters– the day they were killed, I wanted to die beside them.”

Nemo returns to fidgeting with his goggles, sniffing. “So I did. Prince Dakkar is buried back in India with his family, and all that remains… is ‘nobody’. ‘Nobody’– Nemo– a great wielder of science.”

“You’re wrong,” Aouda speaks up, unable to contain her words any longer. “Prince Dakkar is not dead! Dakkar… whatever you’re calling yourself now, you’re still my family! You’re still the most important person that was in my cousin’s life! You have to take the opportunity that you were given and LIVE. Live for them, if not for yourself!”

Nemo doesn’t respond to Aouda for a moment, his tongue stuck out to the side in deep thought. To someone who doesn’t know him, he would look simply distracted. I know better, though. I see how his hands are shaking. He needs time to compose himself.

“Live…?” Nemo continues, his voice trembling. “I left India to do just that. I went to Britain and studied everything I could get my hands on. When I was invited to the Royal Society… I thought, maybe this could be my new family.”

He drops his goggles and puts his face in his hands again. “But there…. I was rejected! I don’t understand it! I made results, so why…”

Finis takes another macaron.

“If I remember correctly, the Royal Society wasn’t too happy about the lengths you were going to in order to get your results. The effects of gravity on man, how much pressure a body could take, all sorts of tests… they were all performed on people, weren’t they?” Finis finally lets his smile stretch out across his face again.

I put my hand to my mouth. Human bodies weren’t supposed to fly high in the air or descend to great depths. For him to test the limits of what a human could take… it’s horrific.

Nemo sighs. “Yes. Yes, those tests were performed on people. It got me the fastest and the most accurate results. I still don’t understand the Royal Society’s reasoning.”

“Dakkar, listen to yourself. You’re saying you don’t understand why they were against using innocent people?” Aouda shakes her head, a look of disgust on her face.

Nemo tilts his head to look at Aouda and speaks slowly.

“What is the difference… between the innocents I experimented on…. and the innocents that Great Britain destroyed in the name of colonization…?”

Aouda closes her mouth.

“What gives Great Britain the right to practice such hypocrisy…?”

Nemo grips his goggles with such force that I can hear the remaining pieces of lens begin to crack.

“You’re right!”

I’m surprised that it’s Barbicane that speaks up.

“You’re right, Nemo…” he repeats. “Science is supposed to be the hope and heart of the world.” 

He closes his eyes. “I wish… I just wish your first glimpse could have been from something like what the old man showed me. Something full of dreams.”

Nemo smiles wryly.

“Impey Barbicane… you’re so naive,” he sighs. “Do you really think that something as simple as that could have stopped all this from happening? Do you think that, maybe, if I had met your old man instead of Isaac-sensei, maybe my bitterness would have lessened after all this time? Do you think, maybe…”

He grits his teeth before shouting, his voice reaching its usual crescendo. “Do you think if someone had extended a hand to me in friendship, that perhaps I could have forgiven the world for what it’s done to me?!”

Tears begin streaming down his face again.

“Do you think it would have been that easy, Impey Barbicaaaaaaaaaane?!”

Barbicane doesn’t back down, however. Instead, he stands up and looks at Nemo seriously.

“Nemo… if you were truly beyond all hope, would you be here right now?” Barbicane rubs the back of his head. “I mean… it’s embarrassing to say, really, but… you’re one of my best friends.”

Nemo’s face flushes.

“You helped Fran-chan and I design that submersible for Queen Victoria so that I could get funding to someday go to the moon. You told us hundreds of times that we couldn’t have done it without you. Maybe I should have told you more often… that you were right. And now, there’s this amazing submarine that we’re working on! This submarine doesn’t have the power to sink fleets or destroy cities.” Barbicane shrugs. “If you had truly let bitterness gobble you up, then you wouldn’t be here with us, right? You wouldn’t be having tea with Finis and Cardia-chan. You wouldn’t have dropped your cannon when you saw Aouda-chan and Philly-chan. (”Philly-chan…?”) Even back then, you wouldn’t have saved everyone on the Nautilus. You wouldn’t–”

Barbicane looks in my direction. I quickly avert my gaze.

“You wouldn’t have excitedly spoken with Polly-chan and me about science. Nemo… you have every reason to hate people, but you don’t. Instead of swearing vengeance, you swore to dedicate yourself to science! Come on, chin up! I’m not asking you to forgive and forget or anything like that, just… share your troubles with us from time to time, okay? Talk to us. That’s what friends are for, you know?”

Nemo is trembling.

“I….”

He closes his eyes.

“Since then, I… always felt so… cold… like nothing in the world could possibly make me feel happy…. but, Impey Barbicane… Finis… Cardia-chan…”

More of his tears wet the tablecloth.

“I think… you all really did save me up there… and now…”

He looks over at Aouda, the last remaining member of his family.

“A… Aouda… I never forgot her… I never forgot them…! I really, really didn’t! Isaac-sensei just meant so much to me, science meant so much to me, I….!!”

He collapses in a heap on the table, weeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Verne's works, Dakkar was Nemo's original name. In fact, I lifted the entire backstory here from "The Mysterious Island".
> 
> It should bear mentioning that Code: Realize doesn't go into detail on Nemo's backstory (it doesn't even specify that he's from India), so canonly we have no idea if he was married or had children. However, seeing the scene in Silver/Wintertide Miracles where Nemo gives Impey advice about love made me realize that it was entirely possible that Otomate intended for him to have that same backstory. I'm a sucker for both angst and Verne's Captain Nemo, so I ran with it.
> 
> Also, nowhere is it mentioned in Verne's work that Nemo and Aouda were related (even by marriage) but Aouda is canonly from the same region as him and was actually married to the Raja. So, who knows, they could have been even more closely related!


	15. I Want the Ocean to Swallow My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aronnax is disgusted with her feelings after hearing Nemo's story. Ashamed, she goes to the ocean to clear her head.

After that horrible teatime, Nemo and Aouda spoke by themselves for a long time.

I did my best to occupy myself by forcing Barbicane to get some sleep. He would always shake his head and tell me that he had work to do, but whenever anyone would walk in he would immediately perk his head up… only to look disappointed when it wasn’t Nemo.

Then it came time for Cardia to tell Barbicane that she was returning to London with Finis to get help. He was mortified, exclaiming that he should be the one to help her.

When he took her hand in his, I thought it would be best to excuse myself.

So now I’m standing on the beach again, looking out as the waves roll in.

I’m not exactly sure what my feelings are. I knew that Nemo was hiding something, but I was so enamored with his enthusiasm and passion that I didn’t want to consider how terribly he was suffering.

I was being very selfish, wasn’t I?

And then…

“Even the Nautilus, what most people would consider to be my grandest creation, is nothing compared to the family she and I made…”

I can’t even imagine the pain of dedicating yourself to someone, hoping to grow old with them, to see your children grow up– to have all that taken away.

It’s no wonder that he acts the way he does.

…

I’ve… never had a great love before.

And there’s that pain again. Jealousy.

I shudder in disgust at my own emotions.

What was I even hoping for? That he had never loved before? That, like our scientific discoveries, we might be able to learn about love from one another? That I might show him what loving another human being can do? That my love could take away all his pain?

My heart feels like a dead weight inside of me. There’s no way I could inflict my selfish love on him, not when what he truly needs is friendship and support.

So, I’ll make a promise to myself… and to him… here and now.

I’ll cast all my romantic desire for him into the sea– metaphorically speaking, of course. What will remain is my adoration, my devotion as his friend, my desire to help him heal after all of his tragedy! Yes, the love that will remain is pure and unselfish!

I kick off my boots and walk towards the water, my eyes narrowing in a determined expression.

“Okay!” I cup my hands to my mouth so that my voice is amplified. “I’m ready! I am casting all of my desire to the sea, where it may sink to the bottom and lay there, hidden for eternity! Take all of the love that I can never express! Take my anguish, my–”

“Are you quite all right, Miss Aronnax?”

Oh.

I immediately stiffen and slowly look over my shoulder. Philomena Fogg is standing nearby, a look of befuddlement on her elegant face.

“Ah, yes!” I straighten up. “I was just…. practicing…”

Fogg raises her eyebrows before laughing. Her voice is low and reserved, even her laughter sounds even.

“My, a scientist and a thespian! Will wonders never cease? Yes… you truly sounded like a woman in love just then…”

She shakes her head.

“You sounded like a woman in love when we first arrived on this island, too. Let’s see, what was it? Ah… ‘ If you mean to harm him, I will not let you anywhere near him’… right?”

She peers at me with her even gaze, and I have to look away in my shame.

“Wasting time is uncharacteristic for me, and I grow weary of it.” Fogg continues. “So, please, allow me to be blunt. You love Nemo.”

I swallow, then nod. “Of course. He’s a precious friend, I love him dearly.”

Fogg frowns. “I thought I had just made it clear that I hate wasting time, Miss Aronnax. If you can say your feelings to the ocean, then you can certainly say them to me, a near-stranger who has never spoken with that man.”

I’m tempted to tell her that speaking to something that can’t respond is much easier than speaking to something incapable of judgement, but she would probably find that yet another waste of time.

I decide to just say it, quickly and plainly:

“I do love Nemo.”

No, somehow… that doesn’t sound right. It doesn’t sound strong enough to match my feelings.

I take a breath and say it clearly this time:

“I am in love with Nemo.”

I can’t say it so simply, though!

“I… I feel light whenever I’m around him, like there’s still so much in the world I know so little about. But this goes beyond simple admiration… I want… I want to be with him. More than anything. If there was a chance, no matter how small, that I could take some of his pain away, I would do it will a full and grateful heart! I want to be his partner, both in science and in….”

Fogg is smiling.

“I’m wasting time by blabbering, aren’t I?” I ask.

“Not necessarily. It would be a waste of time to deny your feelings at this point, but to express them– that’s progress.”

Fogg nods “Judging from your ‘practicing’, you hope to send your feelings to the bottom of the sea, where he can never know them. Is that correct?”

“I am,” I reply. “I have to. After what he said in there, how could I burden him with my feelings?”

I look down at my feet in shame.

“He’s loved and lost. What he needs now is a friend.”

Fogg sighs.

“You’re telling me it isn’t possible for a lover to be a friend as well?”

I bristle. “That’s not–”

“Though now is not the right time, and it might not be the right time for a long while… you should hold onto your feelings. Cherish the love in your heart.”

“What can I possibly offer him that he hasn’t already had?!” these impulsive words spill out of my mouth, and I feel tears hot against my cheek. “I’m not some young beauty, I’m not someone special like Cardia, or a handsome genius like Barbicane, and I’m certainly no princess! I’m just a scientist who gets excited over things like biodiversity and– and cephalopods!”

Fogg actually takes a step back, looking at me as though I had suddenly mutated before her eyes. Then, she calms and squints at me.

“You’re…. a scientist, you say? Science and love are two different things,” she says. “Love isn’t reserved to just one ‘discovery’, one ‘breakthrough’. This is being with an individual, and together creating something that no one else can replicate.”

I cross my arms, unconvinced.

“My, you’re going to take more of my time, then?” Fogg softens her expression. “Very well, then. Walk with me.”

We’re quiet for a long time as we walk, which is doubly surprising given Fogg’s usual desire to be as efficient as possible.

“Aouda and I met shortly after her husband’s death,” says Fogg. “Though she didn’t love her husband the way Nemo loved his wife, I can understand some of your insecurities. But Aouda… we went on a great adventure together, and when I was at my lowest, she proposed to me. She saved me.”

Fogg smiles and looks down at the wedding ring on her finger.

“I was so worried that she was doing it out of pity, but… she said that she had loved me for a long, long time.”

“Are you trying to encourage me?” I ask, sounding a little colder than I mean to. “Your story is beautiful, but…”

“It’s different, I know,” says Fogg. She turns to me and nods. “But I thought you might like to hear of an example where first loves aren’t final loves.”

A smile tugs at the corner of my lips despite my best attempts to quell it. “You’re right… it does make me feel better. Maybe eventually I won’t have to feel guilty about my feelings.”

“Make it now,” says Fogg. “Give yourself permission to have these feelings. Don’t waste your own time.”

Fogg looks away from me and smiles when she sees Aouda walking towards us. “How did things go?”

Aouda shakes her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for not finding him sooner. I didn’t want to believe that he was the one who had created that Nautilus, but… oh, Philomena!”

Fogg walks forward and puts her hands on Aouda’s shoulders. The two of them embrace, and then Aouda looks at me.

“There’s something I have to tell you as well, Professor,” she says.

I immediately straighten up.

“I didn’t come here just to confront Da…” she pauses. “My cousin. I came here to warn him.”

I brace myself. “What happened?”

“Queen Victoria has put a bounty on his head,” says Aouda. “And a large one at that. Dead or alive, for high treason.”

I walk to the cliffside and rest my hand against the cool rock.

“And that’s not all, I’m afraid,” Aouda continues, her voice sympathetic. “Pauline Aronnax, you’re listed as an accomplice. Though you’re wanted ‘alive’, you’re still in great danger.”

So, I’m a wanted woman now. Nemo had mentioned that risk, but a part of me still can’t believe that Queen Victoria would go to such great lengths.

When I had left Paris, a part of me assumed that I would be returning someday. But now, have I been separated from my own home country, too? If Great Britain had a warrant for me, then there’s no doubt that Paris would feel the same way.

“So… the concept of ‘home’ is no longer a part of my life,” I whisper. “What about Cardia, Finis, and Barbicane? What about them?”

Aouda shakes her head. “The only names on there were ‘Nemo’ and ‘Pauline Aronnax’.”

I laugh bitterly. “Of course… it wouldn’t look good for Great Britain’s darling engineer to be a wanted man, even if he wasn’t subtle about his involvement with Nemo.”

I grit my teeth, angry tears burning my eyes.

“I– I’m glad, though,” I force myself to speak. “I’m glad that they’re safe. At least they can go back home someday…”

I inhale sharply. “Where’s Nemo?”

Aouda holds up a hand to stop me. “He’s in his room. He told me that he needs to be alone right now. He also told me to tell you… ‘I’m sorry’.”

I can’t stop myself from crying.

“Nemo… what do you have to apologize for?! I told you! I told you I’d go with you no matter what happened… I’d go anywhere with you, because I–”

But I can’t make the words come out.

—–  
… He didn’t leave his room that day or the next. Barbicane and Cardia are working from the blueprints as best they can, and they’re kind enough to teach me a few tricks as well. Barbicane even starts calling me ‘Cardia’s Assistant’. After being a professor, it’s nice to be on the other end again.

But by the afternoon of the third day, my heart can’t take it. I find myself standing outside of Nemo’s room without really thinking about it.

I sigh before walking up to it.

“Nemo, I know you said you needed to be alone, but… it’s been three days,” I say. “Have you been eating? Getting any sleep?”

Of course, there’s no answer.

“You don’t need to say anything, just… please. Please listen.”

I hear some shifting, and then I feel a thump a few inches above me. He must be leaning against the door.

I reach out and put my hand on the door, wishing I could touch him.

“What you told us at tea… I don’t even know what to say. You always looked so enthusiastic, so joyful… I had no idea... I know that I’ll never be able to do anything to erase your suffering, but if I could–!”

Damnit, I pause to wipe away the tears that are forming in my eyes. I have to sound composed and strong.

“If I could take that pain away from you, I would… I’d take it all.”

I jump back when I hear the door click.

It opens just a bit, just enough for me to see Nemo. It looks like he hasn’t slept in days, his usually vibrant hair hanging limp and his makeup sloppily wiped off… or cried off.

“That’s…. that’s not what I want…” he’s so quiet I can barely hear him.

He shakes his head and opens the door all the way.

“That’s not what I want at aaaaaaall,” he repeats at a volume closer to his usual one. “Pauline, what would the purpose of giving you my pain be? Seeing you suffer would only give me a different kind of pain!”

He reaches out to wipe my cheek with an uncovered hand. His skin feels so warm, I never want the sensation to go away.

“I … I never meant to hurt you,” his voice trembles. “But…. Aouda told you, didn’t she?”

I nod, and allow myself a touch of selfishness by reaching up to hold his hand to my cheek. He shifts his fingers so he’s cupping my face.

“When we left, you told me that it would be a possibility that I’d be branded an accomplice,” I reply. “I’m not upset.”

He smiles bitterly. “Li~aaaaar~!”

I shrug. “Well, I’m not upset with you, anyway. Victoria is another matter.”

I could stay like this forever, just letting our skin touch this much. Yet, there are more tears… this time of shame.

“I’m a terrible person,” I whisper. “To be feeling like this even after I heard your story.”

Nemo tilts his head. “Hmm~? Are you trying to say something, Polly-chan?”

“No,” I answer, then quietly. “No, not now. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

“Don’t hesitate,” says Nemo. “Whatever you have to say, go ahead.”

My eyes widen.

“Remember…. I’m also a terrible person,” his smile is wide and strange, but it falters. “And I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to hold back.”

My fingers are shaking as I reach up to brush the hair out of his face. He closes his eyes and leans into my hand, his long eyelashes brushing against my skin.

My body is aching. I feel so terribly empty inside. How easy would it be for me to give in, to give myself what I want to so much? What it sounds like… he wants, too.

He draws me in closer to him, and tilts my head back with his free hand.

“Wait.”

I take a step back and look at Nemo.

“What you said makes me so happy,” I say. “But… now isn’t the right time.”

I think back to what Fogg said.

“I don’t… I don’t want this to be mingled with sad memories,” I continue. “I don’t want a beautiful moment like this to be the afterthought of a tragedy. Nemo, please allow me this selfishness. Please, hold back just a little longer.”

I wipe my eyes, a smile forming on my face.

“Because I… I want you all to myself, Nemo.”

Nemo stares at me, but slowly his confused expression changes into a genuine smile.

“Theeeeen… shall we distract ourselves with our glorious project, Pro~fess~or?” He giggles before stepping to the side, allowing me to look into his room.

Parts are strewn all over the place, but standing proudly by his bed is a large model of our submarine.


	16. Beauty and Genius, and Neither Mine!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insecurity can gnaw at you until it bleeds into every aspect of your life.

Nemo’s return to the warehouse was nothing short of triumphant. That being said, a great deal of the pomp and circumstance came from the man in question himself. 

The greatest incidents over the following weeks usually occurred when Cardia and I had to convince the boys that sleep was required to perform basic functions.

Nemo and I hadn’t shared a bed since Aouda and Fogg’s arrival. On the contrary, Nemo spent what little free time he gave himself speaking excitedly with Barbicane about… gravity, oddly enough. It probably had to do with Barbicane’s future moon trip (a plan that I still can’t wrap my head around).

Barbicane, Smith, and Nemo were hyper-focused on their work, with Cardia filling the role of assistant.

…I often left the warehouse so as not to get in their way. I’m afraid I was feeling rather useless in this part of the planning, but I was doing my best not to let it get to me.

By the time the third week passed, I completely filled two journals with biological observations. 

I wanted to do more, and this afternoon I’m finally able to sit down with a new subject.

Though Nemo initially encouraged me to continue with my biological studies, I told him that that I really wanted to learn what he was doing.

I blush when I remember how tight he hugged me after I said that. He was speaking so excitedly that his voice sounded like a blur of jibberish, and shortly after that he gave me this book.

It’s surprisingly easy to read, though I’m not especially fond of physics. If it will help us dive to the bottom of the sea in a powered vessel, though, I’ll do whatever it takes.

Still, I’m a little surprised he was so eager to help me learn. In fact, he seems to be at his happiest when he’s encouraging others to, as he puts it, ‘indulge their scientific curiosity’.

“It’s probably because of my father,” Cardia told me one night.

“Isaac Beckford?” I asked.

“When Nemo was experimenting on my Horologium, I ignored a lot of what he was saying,” she continued. “But he talked about my father often. I think he encouraged Nemo quite a bit. I might be completely off with this, but… I think he’s hoping he might be able to fill that role for someone else. That maybe he can encourage someone in the same way.”

To most, Nemo is eccentric, at best. But as we all work towards this great goal, this shining future, I think it’s becoming easier for all of us to see what a genius he truly is. More than that, what sort of man he is behind his flamboyance, tragedy, bombast, and bitterness.

Of course, I’m terribly biased. Each time he makes me laugh, I fall a little deeper in love with him.

These days that I can spend with everyone are precious.

However… there is one person that I haven’t quite been able to connect with.

It isn’t that she’s impolite, in fact she’s very cordial! But, no matter how hard I try, I always feel uneasy around Aouda.

It’s no mystery as to why, either. Though she’s a noble, charismatic, and intelligent woman with much to offer… all I can see in her is Nemo’s past. That past that he didn’t want me to touch, his life and love as Dakkar.

While my scientific curiosity is something I want to stimulate, the last thing I want to do is to indulge my self-destructive heart that burns to know about his family.

No, it’s not that I even especially desire to know about his family– I respect Nemo’s wishes enough to not pry.

It’s my self-loathing heart, that terrible part of me that wants to confirm– ah, there is no way I could compare to the princess he once had!

…..

I’ve been trying to read the same sentence for the past minute. I have to remember and accept who I am. I am Pauline Honorine Aronnax, a great biologist who will one day explore the depths of the Atlantic.

Ah, maybe statement needs to have a dash more ‘Barbicane’ to it.

I am Pauline Honorine Aronnax, France’s greatest biologist and the one who will one day show mankind the treasures of a world previously unseen!

No, that sounds more like Nemo, doesn’t it? It’s just missing a few stretched vowels.

Damnit, I can’t concentrate like this!

I set the book aside and make my way towards the barracks, sick on love and of love!

He almost kissed me. He told me that he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold back. Logic would dictate, then, that he at least must hold some sort of attraction towards me! I should be happy, so why–?!

No, I know why.

It’s because I’m neither a great beauty like the love he once had, nor am I a master of the science he loves now. It’s the same as it was at the university, too. My peers would ask me, hasn’t everything in the world been discovered already? Best to leave these ‘soft’ sciences behind and pursue technology and great feats of engineering!

As I throw the door to the barracks open, I almost walk into Aouda. Both of us jump, startled, and exchange apologies while laughing politely.

I can’t bring myself to make eye contact with her as I move past. The way I’m acting is irrational, ridiculous.

“Professor.”

I stop when Aouda calls out to me in her cool voice.

“My cousin was looking for you,” she says. “He’s made a breakthrough on an ‘air independent engine’ and was hoping to show you.”

“Oh, well– well of course,” I say, doing my best to sound even. “Yes, I’ll go… I just… need to freshen up a touch is all.”

“Professor,” Aouda repeats.

Her voice wounds me like a barbed harpoon.

“Philomena and I will be accompanying Finis back to London,” she says.

I turn to look at her, unsure of how to respond.

“We’ll be looking for concrete evidence against this Aleister fellow, and doing what we can to convince Queen Victoria that my cousin is not the man he really is… or, at least, try to convince her that he is not the man he was.”

“I’m grateful,” I reply. “Thank you for your help.”

Aouda sighs and repeats once more: “Professor.”

I swallow. “Yes?”

“Even after Philomena spoke with you, you’re still intent on torturing yourself?”

“Torturing myself?” I turn around and look at her. “Not at all! I don’t know what you’re talki….”

Aouda stares at me, daring me to finish my sentence.

“… Truth be told, I would be very happy to have some relief,” I admit. “I thought it would come from acknowledging my feelings.”

“It would take a very selfless person to feel complete relief from merely admitting their feelings to themselves. It will likely take some time for you to stop fighting yourself over it. Does my cousin know?”

She’s too good.

I rub the back of my neck to hide its rosy hue from Aouda. “I think so… he told me to just say it.”

“And did you?” she asks.

I shake my head. “I was too afraid to actually say it. I told him to wait.”

“How long?”

Every time Aouda asks me a short, sharp question it’s like she’s digging the blade in deeper.

“I don’t know…”

Aouda walks over and says: “Look at me.”

I turn my head to look at her. Her expression is surprisingly soft. Though she’s not related to Nemo by blood, she carries herself with the same gravity that I saw in that glimpse of Dakkar. It’s intoxicating.

“It’s been almost a month since Philomena and I arrived. Your submarine will be done soon. You should be happy! You and Nemo should be celebrating!”

Hearing her call him ‘Nemo’ makes me smile.

“See? Like that,” she pats me on the cheek. “Humans aren’t meant to be solitary creatures. Neither you nor him…”

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and give voice to the insecurity that has been bubbling inside of me:

“The title of ‘princess’…” I speak slowly. “… Belongs to girls like Cardia, not me.”

Aouda doesn’t say anything. I wonder what she looks like right now. I imagine she probably has a frustrated expression on her face. But I can’t stop myself, the relief I felt from saying that sentence alone is so freeing!

“Young, vibrant girls with stars in their eyes and roses in their cheeks! Girls who spread joy wherever they go! I know that type! I could never compare to that! Even now I’m here instead of where I want to be– because I’d just get in the way. I can identify plants, but what use will that be?!”

I reach out to balance myself against the wall, shaking my head.

“Engineering, physics, isn’t that what Steel London runs on? Isn’t that what Paris and my university run on?!”

I begin to walk forward, groping for the stairs.

“I say that I left my job because it was too safe. What a– what a bunch of bull!” I let out a laugh that honestly surprises me. “It’s true, god, how inspired I felt when I saw Barbicane’s submersible! I knew there was something still out there for me, something that I could do– something that no one else could do–! I could go somewhere no one else has been! And when I met Nemo–!”

I suck in my breath as I stumble, but Aouda steadies me with a firm hand.

I wave her away, still rambling.

“– I felt so special! Like I really mattered! Like I wasn’t just an insignificant existence in a sea of beauty and progress!”

I stumble again, and this time Aouda isn’t there to catch me. My knees knock into the staircase and I fall with a grunt.

I sprawl out on the bottom of the stairs and cover my head, wishing I could will myself away.

“This isn’t about his past at all, is it?!” I cry. “No, that would have an easy solution! People can love more than once, there are thousands of examples–! But I’ll… I’ll never be enough… I’ll never be enough for this world… neither beautiful nor genius… just a prodigy that grew up.”

Aouda sits down on the stairs next to me, not saying anything.

Both of us are quiet for a long time, each of us stewing in our tragedies… mine so insignificant compared to hers.

I break the silence with a laugh.

“Hey…”

I laugh again.

“Is it my turn for teatime?”

Aouda looks over at me, and our eyes meet.

“We’ve all had enough tea, I think,” she says.


	17. My Most Sinful Experiment

Aouda is holding my hair back as I splash warm water on my face from the basin.

We’ve spent the afternoon talking together about everything, from my experience at the university to her literally being swept off her feet by Fogg.

“Our first adventure was, quite literally, a trip around the world,” she says. “She had made a wager with her fellow members of the Reform Club to travel around the world in eighty days… without the use of an airship.”

“Eighty days… I wager that didn’t give too much time for sightseeing,” I say before patting my face dry with a towel. My eyes are still a little red, but I look much better than I did before.

This innocent observation surprisingly makes Aouda blush, then she looks at me with a smile. “Philomena told me that I was the only thing she took the time to see on that trip. I was the only thing that she allowed to distract her. It sounds so simple, but if you know her–”

I nod. Fogg is, to put it bluntly, a walking clock.

Aouda brushes out my hair and sighs. “There, are you feeling better now?”

I nod again.

“So… what do you think will make you happy now?”

“I want to be with Nemo and Barbicane and the others. Even if I’m just sitting and reading, I want to feel their energy.”

I’m surprised to hear laughter bubble out of my mouth. “Observing is my job, after all! It’s what I do best!”

Aouda shakes her head. “Honestly, being around such large egos might do you some good. I had better prepare to make my return to Steel London, though. I assume that you will be there to see us off, won’t you?”

“Of course,” I say.

I walk over to the door to open it for her, but both of us jump when we hear something slam on the door.

“Owww…. ow ow ow owww…”

…..

Aouda and I look at each other.

“Huhhh? Why is the door locked…”

“Aouda, I do have a question for you,” I ask. “Has your cousin always been….”

I clear my throat, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

Aouda laughs sympathetically. “Not as blatantly, perhaps, but yes. He’s always been ‘eccentric’, to put it mildly.”

“Hmmm~? Aoooouda, have you been keeping the Professor all to yourself~? I’ve been waaaiiiting all afternoon!”

I quickly open the door for Nemo, who’s still rubbing his nose, a pitiful frown on his face.

Aouda shrugs and crosses her arms. “I told her about the engine, but I’m afraid we got wrapped up in our discussion. Sometimes, women just need to talk about things alone. Geez…” Aouda looks down at the doorknob and shakes her head. “I thought you would’ve learned to knock by now…”

Aouda moves past her cousin and begins walking away. “I’ll see you before we set off. Don’t keep us waiting, okay Da– Nemo?”

“Mm-hmm~ ciao ciao, my cousin~” Nemo waves over his shoulder before looking back at me– at my eyes, specifically.

Shit, they must still be red…

“The engine will still be there,” he says before closing the door behind him and walking towards me. When he’s about to step into me, I stumble back and trip into my vanity.

“Ahh– hold still,” he says. He leans over me and tilts my chin up.

I wonder if he can hear my heartbeat. Certainly he can feel my skin heating up.

“Where did I puuuut thaaaat….”

Nemo roots around in his coat before pulling out a vial with a triumphant (and loud) ‘a-ha!’ He quickly takes off his gloves and sighs before quickly undoing the bandages on his fingertips.

“Ho~nest~ly~ Polly-chaaaan, you’re so much trouble… close your eyes.”

My eyes widen, and he just looks at me until I obey him.

My lips are aching, and I wish that it was those that he had touched! But instead I feel a cool sensation on one cheek, then the other.

….?

Is this lotion?

“Crying dries out your skin,” I hear Nemo say. The lotion grows warm with his touch as he gently rubs it into my cheeks. “There~ we~ gooo~ feel better?”

I open my eyes and put my fingertips to my cheeks. They do feel soft.

“Hehehe! It’s my own formula~! I am a chemist too, you knoooow!” 

“You… you make your own beauty products?” I really shouldn’t be surprised, but the eager smile that stretches out over his face makes it worth it.

“Mmm-hmm! ❤ Lotion, serums, and l-i-p-s-t-i-c-k-! Sweat-proof, water-proof, feather-proof, and ki~ss~proof!”

Kiss-proof, huh…

I feel my face heat up under my fingers, and I quickly put my hands to my sides.

“Of course, leaving a mark on a lover can be fun, but sometimes you just want your makeup to stay in place. Besiiiiides~” his teeth glint. “There are other ways to leave marks~”

Oh.

OH.

“L-Let’s be serious, Nemo…” I stutter, laughing nervously. “Ah, th-the engine, right? You were having problems because– because fire consumed oxygen, which is–isn’t ideal for being under the water, s-so…”

Nemo leans over me again, putting his hands on the vanity behind me, effectively pinning me to it.

“S-So instead of using fire to boil water and create steam, chemical reactions would be used, a-and… it would be a… a chemical furnace and…”

He lowers his head, and soon I can feel his lips gently press against my neck. I can feel them against my pulse, quickening under his touch. They’re so soft and warm. Is this our first kiss? Does this count as a kiss?

“Well, how about it~?” I feel his breath hot on my skin when he opens his mouth. Then, there’s a light pressure as he grazes my skin with his teeth.

My voice, once occupied with technology, lets out a sigh that sounds so needy that I shudder in shame.

“Shall I show eeeeveryone that you’re miiiiiine~?”

I swallow, feeling the sensation of my throat move against his mouth.

I feel light-headed as I respond: “Y-Yes…”

He smiles, and I feel him open his mouth again “Ahhh~n~”

And then…

He blows a raspberry into my neck, making me jump.

“HAAAAAAAAA—- hahahahaaa!” He stands up and leans back, cackling loudly and pointing at me. “You should see the looooooooook on your faaaaaaaaaaace!!”

He was teasing me. That’s all it had been… teasing.

Maybe it was out of embarrassment, but after a moment of mortifying silence I begin to laugh, too. The situation had been so serious only a moment ago, and now here we are laughing like fools.

He takes my hand and leads me out of the bedroom, not even giving me time to pin my hair back up.

“You’re right, though,” Nemo explains as we walk towards the warehouse. “Impey Barbicane and I have finished constructing an engine that actually creates oxygen as a byproduct! With this, we won’t have to surface nearly as much! We took the concept that Narcís Monturiol designed and adjusted it so…”

Nemo is leading the way as he excitedly talks about the history of submersibles. Though his speech is still flamboyant, the langue that he’s using is easy for me to understand, so I’m able to get excited alongside him. 

I put my free hand to my neck where he had kissed me. It still feels warm.

When we make it to the warehouse, Nemo pulls out one of his arm bandages and orders for me to close my eyes again.

“Are you going to…?”

“Mn~?” Nemo tilts his head.

“N-Nevermind,” I quickly mutter.

Nemo sticks his tongue out impishly as he begins to cover my eyes.

“Okay, okay~ I’m going to be taking you inside the inner hull, so I’ll have to carry you.”

I nod silently before I feel him pick me up in his arms.

“I– I’ve seen the blueprints before, so why are you being so secretive–?” I ask, yelping as I feel him kick open the warehouse door.

Of course, it’s for the drama of it all.

Still, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t enjoying this.

“Uhh…” I hear Barbicane express his confusion. “N-Nemo… isn’t it a little soon to be carrying Polly-chan across the threshold like that…?”

Nemo’s laugh is so loud that I have to cover my ears.

“Impeeeey Barbicaaaaane! Haven’t you realized by this point that my bride is SCIIEEENNCEEE?!”

“Y-Yeah, you’re saying that, but still… um…. your arms are shaking, do you need help…?”

“IMPEYBARBICANEIAMFINETHANKYOU.”

I have no idea what he just said.

“IWOULDGIVEYOUAPEACESIGNBUTIAMCARRYINGPOLLY-CHANSO…”

“P… Peace… sign…?”

“YESLIKETHATTHANKYOU.”

All of a sudden I feel Nemo running. He must have overexerted himself by kicking down the door and carrying me at the same time. Or maybe it has something to do with what Barbicane said…

But that’s probably just wishful thinking.

With the voices of the others dwindling, it feels safe for me to lean my head against Nemo’s shoulder. Even with the smell of chemicals and metal, it’s easy for me to think back fondly to that night on the airship. 

Nemo sets me down and mutters something about opening up the hatch.

I realize with a shiver that I’m likely standing next to the very submarine that will take me on my adventure.

I reach out my hand and grope in the air, only to hear a shriek. “STAAAAAAY PUUUUUT!”

I immediately freeze.

“Geeeeez….” I hear the sound of heavy movement, and I realize it’s probably the hatch being opened. Then there’s a thump and I hear Nemo walk over to me.

“What were you trying to do?” he asks.

“It’s kind of embarrassing to say it…” I mumble.

“Ufufufu….” Nemo’s giggle is haughty and wicked. “Don’t forget that you’re blindfolded, Professor. I can make you as embaaaaaaarrassed as I want~”

I may be blindfolded, but I hope that Nemo can see the glare that I’m giving him. It’s really not fair how easily he can tease me, but I guess it’s my own fault.

“So~?” he continues, and I can practically see his leer. “What were you trying to accomplish by grabbing around at a highly dangerous piece of machinery?”

I look away, hoping the bandages are hiding my blush. “I want… to touch it…”

“… Eh?”

“T-The submarine,” I quickly clarify. “Since I can’t see it yet, I want to touch it. I want to touch my dream. I suppose it will feel more concrete to me, then. Like it’s really happening.”

I hear Nemo take a few steps away and thump against something metallic.

“Nemo?”

I hear a sniff.

“Polly-chan…. that… that’s so….”

The air is suddenly squeezed out of me as Nemo hugs me tightly.

“THAT’S SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!”

“Urk! Nemo, I’m still blindfolded!!”

But he doesn’t let go, spinning me around and sweeping me back up in his arms. I couldn’t even protest as I felt him nuzzle his cheek against mine.

“A woman in love with sciiiiiience– can anything be so preeeciiouuusss?!”

He carries me in the direction he had been working on and sets me down on the ground. Then, he takes my hand in his.

I hear him inhale and feel soft strands of his hair touch my fingertips. Then, the warmth of his lips on my knuckles, slowly kissing each one in turn.

My knees feel weak.

Then he quietly laughs and says: “I told you I could embarrass you, didn’t I? Hmm~ what fun is making a threat without sometimes acting on it~?”

I feel my body heating up again, like it had back in the bedroom. It’s really terrible how a simple kiss can make my senses so muddled.

“You keep on teasing me,” I murmur. “Is it that fun?”

“It iiiiiis~!” he draws me close to him again. “And I will keep on teasing you until I’m certain that my cute professor will never reject me~ I’ll intoxicate you with my very being, the most sinful of experiments.”

I feel his warm hand cup my cheek, and feel his breath on my ear. “And when I know you’re mine, that you’ll never reject me… I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”

Then, he puts my hand against something cold. With an excited shiver I realize that I’m touching the hull of the submarine. He puts his hand over top of mine and threads our fingers together.

“Your dream,” he says, laughter in his voice. He sounds so unbelievably happy. After meeting Aouda, hearing the truth about everything, after I realized how my own insecurities were affecting me… that loud laughter of his was a wonderful sound.

—–

When the blindfold drops from my eyes, I look around in shock. Though the hulls aren’t complete and there’s a gaping hole, I’m clearly inside the submarine.

This room doesn’t look anything like an engine room, though.

Nemo’s grinning at me as he sprawls out on a velvet chaise lounge.

“I hooooope you don’t mind that I told a little~ white~ lie~! Of course, I’ll show you the engine room, but…” he looks up at me with a lopsided smile. “I thought you might enjoy this more.”

Though the room is somewhat small, it’s nothing short of luxurious. A sofa sits in front of the circle cut into the metal, leaving me to believe that it will eventually house a gargantuan porthole for undersea viewing. The entirety of one of the walls has been converted into a metal bookshelf already lined with volumes on science of all kinds.

As I step around, my eyes focus on…

“Is… is that a…?”

“Hrm?” Nemo tilts his head back and looks upside-down at the wall behind him. “Oh, yes.” He points at what I’m staring at. “She’s in progress right now, but she’s eveeeeeentually going to be a pipe organ. Isn’t she looooovely~?”

“A… a pipe organ?!”

It’s huge, taking up the entirety of the wall in a beautiful patchwork of metal.

“I mean, I figured you were a piano player, but…”

Nemo tilts his head to look at me. “How did you figure that out?”

I… I hadn’t meant for him to hear that. Oh, dear.

“I… uh…” Well, there was no way I was going to get out of this one. I might as well just suck it up and hope he’s somewhat merciful in his teasing– though judging from today’s events, I doubt it. “I… noticed…”

I rub the back of my neck and take a breath.

“I observe these sorts of things. When you work, you tend to hold your hands out in a way that pianists would.”

I stretch out my fingers to demonstrate.

“Though, I shouldn’t be surprised that your instrument of choice is the pipe organ. The multiple ranks and manuals would provide more mental stimulation for someone like you compared to a singular keyboard.”

I inwardly curse at myself for going on like that.

Nemo looks surprised, but then his lips stretch out into another one of his grins.

“My, my…. how obseeeervant! It’s no wonder you excel in your field!” He swings his legs over the edge of the chaise lounge and props himself up. “I suppose your observant mind is ooooone of the reasons why I’m falling in love with you, Professor Aronnax.”

I can do nothing more than stare at him.

“Oh~ don’t look so surprised!” he waves a hand idly. “I told you already that I’m ex~pe~ri~men~ting~ on you. What fun would it be if my heart weren’t also in this test?”

He giggles as he tilts his head and looks out the hole in the wall. “Ahh, and speaking of love~”

I follow his gaze and see Barbicane and Cardia walking next to each other on the ground level.

“He’s been very entertaining,” Nemo continues. “Almost as entertaining as the submarine itself… honestly, having Cardia-chan be our assistant was a moment of geeeenius!”

Barbicane has an expression of embarrassment on his face. Seeing him look hesitant is a little strange.

“He’s inexperienced…” Nemo continues with his musings. “I’m not sure he even reeeeaalizes himself what he’s feeling! It’s cute…”

I clasp my hand over my mouth when I see Cardia reach up to touch Barbicane’s cheek. Barbicane looks just as shocked as I imagine I do.

Nemo just continues giggling. “First love~ there’s nothing quite like it.”

I hear him stand up and walk behind me. He quietly peers over my shoulder down at Barbicane and Cardia.

“She’s going back to London with her brother,” I say. “I wonder if they’re saying goodbye…”

I shake my head.

“We shouldn’t be watching this, Nemo.”

Nemo sighs and turns away. “I suppooooose we should be making our way to the airship.”

I swallow. “Do you really think they’ll manage to convince Queen Victoria? Or stop Aleister?”

I hear Nemo stop at the doorway.

“Don’t ask me questions like that, Polly-chaaaaan…. I may not look like it, but I really am quite a pessimist.”

I close my eyes. Right now, unfortunately, I feel that his pessimism might be right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narcís Monturiol was a real guy! He is the inventor of the Ictineo I and II-- the latter of which was the first submarine to use an air-independent engine.


	18. I Need You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the airship with Finis and Cardia begin to return to London, Aronnax can only watch and hope that Impey has the courage to tell Cardia how he feels.

The sun is setting when Finis makes his way to the airship.

“I’m assuming that you’re experienced in piloting these,” Finis looks up at Fogg. It’s quite a comical sight, given that Fogg is over a foot taller than the boy.

“If you doubted me, you would have made certain that I wasn’t the pilot,” she quietly states. “Don’t waste my time with your foolish questions.”

“My, my, you’re more uncivilized than you appear, Miss Fogg,” says Finis.

The two of them continue speaking tersely, but despite the atmosphere the two of them have smiles on their faces.

Behind them, Nemo and Aouda are speaking so quietly that I can’t hear anything they’re saying, but Aouda keeps on looking over at me with a smile.

When I opened up to Aouda (that is, had a breakdown in front of her), it was like the ice between us shattered. She is so incredibly charming, just like Nemo. Fogg is a very lucky woman.

And now I’m walking behind them, blushing so hard that my entire neck is red. What is he saying to her? I hope he’s not using the same language that he did with me, saying things like “she’s mine” and “she’s my most sinful experiment” and… no, she probably wouldn’t be smiling at me if he was saying that. She would probably be boxing his ears.

I gasp when I feel a strong arm wrap around my shoulders.

“Hey, hey, Polly-chan! What’re you walking back here like a beet for?”

I look up at Barbicane’s confident grin.

I blink a few times up at him. “I was just– I didn’t want to interrupt–”

“Man, you’ve gotten really jumpy lately,” Barbicane gives me a wink. “Something going on?”

I sigh, regaining my composure and pushing my glasses back into place. “I suppose you could say that. I could say the same thing about you, Barbicane… is something going on with you and Cardia?”

Barbicane quickly lets me go, his own face reddening. “W-What, you mean more than usual? Hahaha, of course, my princess and I are madly in love!”

He straightens up, sighing.

“…B-But seriously… between you and your creepy honey, I haven’t gotten a moment’s peace about her. Aren’t we supposed to be focusing on that glorious submarine of yours?”

‘My creepy honey’… a part of me wants to protest, but I know that if I do that, it will take even more finagling to get back to the subject of Cardia. Besides, he doesn’t have much time.

“Cardia’s going back to London on this airship, isn’t she?” I ask.

“Um…” Barbicane clears his throat. “S… Sort of? I mean…”

It’s eerie seeing Barbicane clam up like this. It’s almost like he’s an entirely different person… where did all of that confidence go, I wonder? Perhaps it’s more of a front than I thought it was.

“Sort of? She’s ‘sort of’ leaving for London on an airship?”

“I mean, you know what I– that’s– gaghh! I’d better make sure the ship is prepped!” Barbicane walks ahead of me, stomping in the sand towards the field where the airship is waiting.

I begin to trot after him, but Nemo stops me when I try to pass him. In fact, if I had been running, I would have been clotheslined!

“I don’t understand what Barbicane’s thinking. He’s acting foolish,” I mutter. “If he lets Cardia get away without saying anything…” I go quiet when Nemo hooks his arm around my shoulder, doing the same to Aouda on his other side so he’s hanging between us like a lopsided spider.

“Yeeeees, of course, boys are idiots when it comes to loooooove~!” he giggles.

I look at Nemo through my peripheral vision. “Isn’t Barbicane older than you?”

Nemo’s voice drops, a self-deprecating grin on his face. “By 74 days.”

“So if he’s a boy, and he’s older than you…”

“Experience does woooonders when age cannot! Yes, certainly, you can call me ‘loooooooove-sensei’!!”

The silence hangs over both Aouda and me while Nemo stands there smiling.

“Ahem… I SAAAAAID, YOU CAN CALL ME ‘LOVE-SE—”

“Oh, Philomena!” Aouda suddenly lets go of Nemo, and he falls on the ground with a dramatic squawk. 

She turns around and shakes her head. “Sorry, Nemo, but I have to stop Philomena before she gets in an argument with Finis that lasts the entire trip.”

It’s a convenient excuse to get away from the ‘love-sensei’, but Nemo doesn’t seem phased. From the ground, he gives Aouda a thumbs up.

I watch Aouda walk after her wife and sigh. “I personally would hate to be stuck in an argument between Fogg and Finis, especially one grand enough to last an entire trip.”

I turn to look at Nemo, who’s still laying on the ground staring up at the orange-tinted sky.

“Are we just going to let Barbicane go, though?” I ask. “If he doesn’t say something, it might be a long time before he sees Cardia again.”

I hug myself, looking up at the sky. The words that come out of my mouth are quiet:

“Why is saying that you love someone so hard?” I quietly ask. “Why are we so afraid?”

“Because…”

I jump.

At first, I didn’t think that it was Nemo who spoke, but then I recall that painful teatime with Aouda. Yes… it is Nemo, giving me another glimpse of the man he once was. His expression is serious, his lips a thin frown as the stars beginning to dot the sky are reflected in his goggles.

"Love isn’t something that is concrete. It’s not something that you can touch, like our submarine, or something that you can observe, like Impey Barbicane’s moon…” he speaks slowly, quietly. “The only way to be sure of it… is to expose yourself to that precious ‘someone’.”

My face heats up as I look down at him. His voice is impossibly deep, I can feel it reverberating inside my chest. It cuts me deeper than even his loudest laugh. Inside it is a fathomless sadness, and yet… it makes me want him to hold me, to whisper in my ear and tell me that he’s made me his completely. 

Hearing him speak like this, I can’t help but see him as a prince.

Maybe that’s why he chooses not to speak like this.

"You can’t wear gloves or use a shield to protect yourself. The pain comes from inside our bodies, no matter how hard we try to block it,” he continues.

I jump again when he turns his head to look at me. His expression softens, and he reaches out towards me.

I grip his hand in mine so I can help him stand back up.

However, he just smiles before pulling me down to him. I land on top of him with a gasp, and he wraps one of his arms around me so we’re chest-to-chest.

“It’s that pain that you’re afraid of, isn’t it? That’s why I can feel your heart pounding so quickly,” he continues in that quiet voice of his before brushing a strand of hair out of my face.

“Pain…?” I shake my head, unable to lock eyes with him. “No, I mean… not enough to make me hesitate this much. If it was pain I was afraid of… I would have run away the moment I realized that I was falling in love with the creator of the Nautilus.”

He giggles, and it’s a sound more familiar to me. It makes me smile.

But I’m not done with his answer yet.

“What’s making me hesitate, honestly, is… well, science,” I say with a confused shrug.

He raises an eyebrow.

“I mean…”

The feeling of our two bodies together like this is driving me mad. I cannot concentrate– he’s so warm!

“If– if we do this, and something happens, how will that affect our journey together? I … I want to be sure that I can put science ahead of any pain this love might give me,” I shake my head, trying to make sense of the words coming out of my mouth. “So… I guess I am afraid of pain, after all. But– but I’ll face it!”

I lean down and bury my head in his chest, my face hot with emotion. “Because I– I am in love with you! I’ve been falling in love with you since we made our promise back in Buckingham Palace!”

I hold up my pinky finger, tears beginning to burn my eyes.

“I love you so much that it hurts– all of you, the ‘Nemo’ I first met and the ‘Nemo’ I’m discovering now. All the bits and pieces of the man you are, I love so deeply– but I love my dream, too. That’s why I have to wait– why we have to wait until this submarine is created.”

My breath hitches in my throat.

“When there’s nothing left that can constrain me, when nothing can hold me back from not only saying but showing how much I love you!”

My hand trembles as tears begin to roll down my cheeks. I’ve wanted to say this for so long, and Nemo’s right… it does hurt. It hurts terribly.

But then I feel Nemo wrap his pinky around mine, mimicking the promise we made back then.

“It’s been so long since someone said that to me…” he says. “Thank you.” He traces my cheek and brushes my lips with his thumb. “Making me wait… in the name of our project… it’s admirable, professor. Then… I’ll have to be satisfied with this.”

He leans forward and kisses my forehead, his deep sigh making my entire body throb.

“And now….” he murmurs. “It’s time…. TO SAY HEELLLLOOOO TO CARDIA-CHAAAAAAAAAAN~!!”

I look over to see Cardia doing her best to slink by without being noticed.

“I….”

She goes quiet.

“Look, I really didn’t… want to watch or anything, but… you two are right in the middle of the path….”

Nemo grins and extends his free hand towards her. “Care to jooooooin us~?”

I sputter, immediately standing up and hobbling away.

It was remarkable, really. I mean, only moments before…

But the man I was looking at now was idly brushing off his pants, his tongue stuck out as he hums giddily.

“Oh, Cardia,” I look at her, trying to get my head out of the fog. “Are you… are you ready to go back to London?”

Cardia closes her eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

Cardia balls her hand into a fist and then smiles at me with a look of pure determination. “It’s not up to me anymore.”

The look on her face is precious. Beautiful, with a hint of sadness and desperation in her smile.

“I want to feel needed,” she says, a blush decorating her cheeks. “That’s all.”

“Cardia…” I begin to walk towards her, but Nemo puts his hand on my shoulder. Then he gives Cardia a big smile and waves, “Good luuuuck, my friiieeeend!”

Cardia smiles reassuringly at me before walking towards the airship.

“Nemo….” I look up at him. “What if Barbicane doesn’t…”

He just grins and tweaks my nose. “Have some faith in Impey Barbicane! Or, if not in him, then in Cardia-chan, hmm?”

He takes my hand and playfully swings it as he begins to lead me towards the airship in the distance.

—–

“Impey,” Cardia’s voice is cool and even as she walks up to the genius engineer.

He looks up at her from the maintenance he was performing before standing up straight.

“Your chariot is almost ready, princess!” he says with a dashing smile.

“Do you need me to stay, Impey?”

Impey stops and looks at her. It takes him a moment to process what she just said.

“Stay… you mean on the island? To help with the submarine? Wow, my angel, that would wonderful! Spending more time with you would be–”

“Please…” Cardia cuts him off, looking down at her feet.

Cardia narrows her eyes. “I’ll stay… if you need me to, Impey. If you need me. But I want to hear you say it… seriously.”

He puts a hand over his heart. “Of course, Cardia-chan!”

He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. Is this… fear? Impey Barbicane, afraid of truly, honestly telling a woman how he feels? A woman he’s been in love with since he first saw her?

Well, he isn’t sure when his joking turned into these deep feelings, but there they are. There they are, and Cardia is asking him to say them.

But fear grips his entire body, and those important words just won’t come to him.

‘I need you. I want you to stay by my side. I can’t do this without you. I love you.’

Why can’t he just say those words?

His face flushes when he remembers how he had touched her cheek earlier that afternoon.

Cardia continues to look at Impey until she realizes that he’s having trouble speaking. She looks away and sighs.

“I… I want to say it… I want to yell out ‘my darling!’ and run into your arms and sweep you right off your feet!” Impey’s smiling, but the corner of his lip is twitching. “But… it doesn’t feel right, you know? I feel like… this is super-important, Cardia-chan, and I don’t want to mess it up. You deserve more than me stumbling over my words! I’m the great Impey Barbicane, the man who will one day go to the moon! When I confess to the woman I love… I want it to come from the heart. I want it to be just as special as she is!” 

His words, even those stumbling words touched Cardia’s heart. She found herself smiling again.

“Is that okay?” Impey takes a step towards her. “I mean, I… I do… need…”

His face is bright red by this point.

“I need… time… so, please… if you stay here, if we work together… Cardia-chan, I can do anything if you believe in me!”

“I do believe in you, Impey,” Cardia says with a smile. “Let’s create this, so that someday…”

Impey gives a cheerful thumbs up. “So that someday, we can go to the moon together!”

—–

I immediately rise to my feet when Cardia and Barbicane walk out of the engine room.

“Huh…? Waiting for the grand entrance of my honey and me?” Barbicane flashes a dazzling smile, and I ignore him to look at Cardia.

Cardia just smiles at me before looking towards her brother. “Finis… I’ll leave this up to you, okay?”

“Tch…” Finis crosses his arms. “You should have done that from the start. Things will be easier now as long as Fogg doesn’t interfere.”

“Interfere? Me? You’re the one wasting time by chatting needlessly,” Fogg peers over at Finis. “We should have left twenty minutes ago.”

Cardia leans down and embraces her little brother, who looks around as though he’s daring any of us to say anything.

“Be careful, okay?” Cardia whispers to him.

“Criminy…. you don’t need to worry about me…” Finis mutters.

Meanwhile, Aouda extends a hand to Nemo. “I’m glad I got to see you again. I just wish it could have been under better circumstan…” her voice drowns out as Nemo traps her in a tight hug.

“Aouda, no matter what the circumstances were, I’m so happy–! I’m so happy that you’re still here! I…”

Aouda gently rubs Nemo’s back as he buries his head in her shoulder.

Impey quickly begins gesturing for us to give them some privacy, but Nemo steps back and shakes his head.

“We don’t have to say goodbye, my cousin, not reeeeeeeeally!”

Nemo puts a transmitter in Aouda’s hand.

“I’ll be hooooonest, we’ll most definitely end up out of range. But– if you have this… and I have mine… isn’t it like we’re still always connected? Mm-hmm, technology boosting the bond of our bloooooood!” He takes a step back before pointing towards Fogg.

“And YOU!”

Fogg looks up from her pocket watch with wide eyes.

“MY NEW COOUUSIN!”

“I–” she can hardly protest before Nemo’s also wrapped her in his suffocating hug. She looks so incredibly distressed, I have to look away to stop myself from laughing at her plight.

—–

It isn’t long before we’re watching the airship take off. Aouda is waving to us, a bright angel in the dim sky.

Finis, Fogg, and Aouda are returning to London. I wish with all my heart that I could feel more optimistic about their odds.

As the airship becomes a speck in the distance, Barbicane flicks his goggles down over his face.

“Well, Nemo?” he turns towards his fellow scientist. “I think it’s about time we got serious about that submarine, don’t you?”

Nemo’s smile is so wide that it takes up most of his face.


	19. Hungry Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The submarine is finally done. Is this the last barrier that stands in between them?

Another month passes in a whirlwind of metal and steam.

I spend as much time as I can observing Barbicane, Smith, Nemo, and Cardia’s work. They’re like a machine creating a machine, perfect synchronicity.

But soon the work becomes too big to hide, and I’m inelegantly tossed out of the warehouse.

I stand at the closed door, my hands on my hips.

“What, exactly, is the point of this?” I doubt I’m loud enough for any of them to hear me, but it feels empowering to raise my voice. “I’ve seen the blueprints! It’s not a secret!”

I feel like a child being kept out of the drawing room on Christmas Eve, but I know that I would be wasting time trying to sneak glimpses in.

I can practically hear Fogg chiding me from across the ocean, so I decide to occupy myself by going on miniature ‘expeditions’ across the island.

When I make the suggestion to Smith over dinner, she’s all too eager to be my guide.

“Not that I’m ungrateful for the opportunity Professor Barbicane and Professor Nemo gave me, but it’s like the two of them are speaking an entirely different language. Even I, the greatest American engineer, can’t keep up… maybe I should call them ‘sensei’ after all.”

She sighs dejectedly, and I pat her arm.

“And poor Cardia! She’s been busy trying to get the professors to eat and sleep! They always encourage me to take care of myself, but if I suggest that they take a night off…”

The both of us begrudgingly decide to leave the boys to their fate and proceed with our exploration of the island.

After that, my weeks are filled with discovery, contemplation, and study. I should be thrilled, but…

I cannot stop myself from worrying about Nemo.

I even leave the door to my room unlocked in the hopes that maybe…

But my bed is always empty.

There’s not even a hint of lavender oil on the pillows.

I feel pathetic acting like this. When did I become so needy?

I’ve always had friends, even when I was at the university. Conseil was my constant companion, but I never longed for him like this. Even my romantic partners, the men and women who filled my life and my body– I never craved them the way I crave him.

I’d be happy just to see Nemo again, even if we didn’t touch. Just to see his smile, hear his loud laugh.

…..

But, despite how badly I want it, I’m still surprised to return one evening to see him asleep on my bed.

As much as I would love to comment on his beauty, he looks rather… ‘exhausted’ would be an apt word. There are rings around his eyes from his goggles, and he didn’t even bother to take off his boots before collapsing on my bed.

I want to wake him, to hold him tightly and tell him how much I missed him. But he looks so peaceful, he’s not even snoring.

I smile a little to myself as I walk over and sit down on the bed, unsure of what to do.

His eyebrows furrow at the movement and he slowly opens his eyes, blinking up at me.

“Polly-chan…” his voice is raspy with exhaustion, and his smile is weak. “It’s doooooone…”

I look down at him, unsure if I understand what he’s saying.

“It’s done?” I repeat. “You mean, you mean the submarine?!”

He nods weakly, and in my excitement I fling myself on him and throw my arms around his neck, sending the pillows flying.

“Nemo!!” I cry, burying my head in his shoulder. “You wonderful, wonderful genius–!!”

That warmth… it’s so good to feel him again. Sparks are flying throughout my body as I pepper his neck with affectionate kisses.

He yelps, but eventually settles down and wraps an arm around my shoulders with a sigh. “We’re doing an underwater test for it tomorrow. If it’s succeeeessful, there won’t… beeee aaaaanything… stoooopping….”

But he closes his eyes before he can finish his thought, and soon he begins snoring loudly.

I watch him for a while– for someone who’s so amazingly loud, even in his sleep, he still looks peaceful.

I try to slide myself out so that I can turn out the electric light, but Nemo’s grip on me is firm. I try again, and he mumbles something incoherently before nuzzling his cheek into my hair.

I laugh quietly and settle down in his arms, my bed for the night seemingly dictated.

“Goodnight, my mad scientist,” I whisper before closing my own eyes.

—–

“It’s bigger than I thought it would be…” I breathe, unable to contain my excitement.

“Mm~hmm, it really is something I can be proud of,” Nemo replies as he puffs his chest out..

“How… wide is it, exactly? Do you think it’ll be comfortable?”

Nemo smirks, “Well, I’m used to tiiiiiiight spaces.”

I swallow, then look up at him. “If… if you’re experienced with it, then, I guess…” I reach out towards it before hesitating.

Nemo takes my hand and kisses my knuckles before guiding my fingers to it.

My hand is trembling, but I finally touch it. “It’s beautiful…”

This makes Nemo giggle. “It is~! I can’t wait until that moment when I’m finally insiiiide…”

“M-Me too… I’ve waited so long…”

“Uh-huh! 30 meters from stem to stern, cylindrical, a cool and sleek beauty to tame the wilds of the blue!” Barbicane chimes in, happily slapping the side of the submarine.

I pull my hand away from the metal, smiling. “She really is gorgeous. Oh, Nemo, I know I’ve said it before, but you are a genius!”

“Yeeeeeees–! Say it again, say it louder! I! AM! A! GEEEEEENIIUUUUSSSS!”

“Oy, Polly-chan! Don’t make that guy’s head bigger than it is already!” Barbicane sighs loudly. “Geez, what can a guy do to get a little credit around here…”

“Impey Barbicaaaane… do you need a hug of recognition?” Nemo leers over at him.

Barbicane jumps back, shaking his head. “Unless your name is Cardia, that’s an easy ‘NO’!”

But it’s obvious that Nemo is relishing the attention. He’s swaying gleefully, like a child who just got praised.

It’s darling.

Thanks to Smith’s devoted workers, we’re able to safely get the submarine in the sea, in the harbor built just for this grand event.

Even though the metal is a brassy color, I can’t help but compare it to a jewel floating in the sea. It’s breathtaking. It almost looks like a living thing, a mysterious cryptid of the sea calling for me to follow it.

“By the waaaay, Polly-chan…” Nemo looks over at me. “I was hoping to get some input on the crew.”

Crew?

Yes, I suppose with something this big, it’s not a two-person job. I swallow my disappointment.

“How many people do you think we’ll need?” I ask.

Nemo idly runs a hand through his hair. “I thiiiiiiiiink…. two more people should just about cover it!” He’s trying to look cool, but the way he’s shifting his weight from one foot to the next betrays his anxiety.

And he’s clearly glancing in Barbicane’s direction.

“Impey Barbicaaaaaane…” he starts, but then he wrinkles his nose and looks away, muttering loudly to himself: “No… not yeeeet. The experiment hasn’t been fiiiinished yet….”

He looks back at me and I see his eyes narrow behind his goggles.

“The results aren’t concluuuuuusive yeeeeeeet….”

Results… my results?

That’s right, the submarine isn’t the only ‘project’ he’s working on. He also considers me a project.

My heart pounds when I remember that. It’s a twisted form of conditioning, but isn’t all love, in a way? It’s all so selfish, so hungry…

I try not to think about it too much. It’s true that I’ve been completely entangled in this scientist’s web, but did I not put myself there willingly? I handed him the rope with which he could tie me, so to speak.

And here are the results of one experiment: this beautiful chariot that will carry us across the Atlantic.

What will be the results of the other one…? What will we create…?

“Hee hee hee…” Nemo’s laugh sounds dangerous, and Barbicane instinctively takes a step away. “Weeelllll then, what are we waaaaiiting for?! Let’s climb abooooooard!”

It really is a spectacular ship. As Nemo helps me down the ladder, I slowly look around to take it all in.

I bring my hands to my face, covering my mouth to hide the cry of joy that threatens to escape my mouth. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted! It’s a beautiful palace of science, a majestic place where I can finally penetrate places no one else has discovered–! Finally…

The submarine is broken down into four main rooms, each sealable and watertight in case the unthinkable happens (this was Cardia’s design idea, a fact that Barbicane was very proud to point out).

The room we entered is, unsurprisingly, the bridge. This is the biggest of the rooms, and all four of us can fit comfortably in it. Though there are two large portholes, there is also a periscope for viewing things at a distance.

I stand on my tiptoes to peer through, and Nemo pulls it down to my height.

“How high can it go?” I’m chattering like a child as I look around.

“10 meters,” says Nemo, putting a hand on my shoulder to steady me.

I turn around and look up at him. Apparently my expression alone asks my question, because he giggles and nods before showing me how to make the periscope ascend.

I eagerly make it go as high as it can before I begin to look around.

“This island is beautiful…” I whisper. “I’ve seen it so many different ways, but this is the most magnificent… framed in metal and blue…”

I lower the periscope again to peer at the scientists on the dock, and smile when I see Smith point at the submarine. She energetically waves towards the periscope, and I wave back until I realize that she can’t see me. I pull away and laugh at myself, wiping tears from my eyes.

The second room is the living quarters. Four bunks are lined up against the walls, betraying Nemo’s innocent ‘hypothesis’ that the submarine was meant for four people. He had planned on this from the beginning. It’s rather precious, in a strange way.

I nudge him with my elbow and gesture to the beds. “Four bunks?”

“Mm… I doubt we’ll have the same sleep schedule, Polly-chan, but I suppose we could crash in the salon if you need some snuuuuuuggle time~”

I feel hot blood rush to my cheeks. “T-That’s not what I was talking about!”

He just grins, and I swear I see a wink behind his goggles. He knew exactly what I was referring to, and dodged my line of questioning effortlessly!

This room itself is spartan, and I’m surprised that not only a bathing area but a small galley has somehow been crammed inside. Nemo is very proud of the desalination device he created, and he orders us all to sample the water.

Barbicane lifts his glass. “A toast, then! A toast to water that doesn’t taste like it came straight from the ocean!”

“Nnghh.. that’s a pretty lousy toast, Impeeeey Barbicaaane…” says Nemo. 

“Fine, fine…” Barbicane sighs. “Then what about a toast to our beautiful assistant, the radiant Cardia-chan!”

I begin to raise my glass to that, but Cardia shakes her head. “Why not to the submarine itself?”

I shrug, putting my glass back down. “Come to think of it, I haven’t learned the name of this beauty yet.”

“Ahahaha… weeeeeell, I was hoping to save the official christening for our voyage, but now is a good time as any!” Nemo raises his glass. “Maaaaaaaaaay IIIIIII present! To! You! The Harper!”

It’s like hearing her name gives even more life to the submarine as four friends clink their glasses.

“Aaah, but this place is a little too cramped to enjoy a driiink, isn’t it? Come, come, follow meeee~!”

The next room is the crown jewel of the submarine: the salon.

It’s a shocking contrast to the starkness of the rest of the submarine, perhaps alluding to the passions of its creator hiding behind layer after layer of anguish.

Or, perhaps he just wanted a nice room for his pipe organ.

And what a pipe organ it is, so large it takes up almost the entirety of one of the walls. Across from it is the porthole that dwarfs me, towering so high and wide that we would have to dive quite far for the ocean surface to be hidden from my view.

Unable to stop myself, I run up to it with a giddiness that betrays my childish excitement. I’m not alone, though, as Cardia is soon next to me, looking out at the waves gently sloshing against the rounded pane.

“I could stay here forever…” I breathe.

I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel swallowed by my emotions. I look away and wipe my eyes, hoping that nobody else notices. I’ve wanted to be here for so long, and here we are, floating on that endless sea. That sea where my freedom dwells.

“Then stay,” I hear Nemo behind me. I turn around to look at him, and Cardia hurriedly takes Barbicane by the arm.

“You want to show me the engine room, right?” she says, practically shoving him through the door.

The door shutting behind them is the signal, and Nemo and I quickly find ourselves in each others arms again. Our hands grip at the fabric separating us, savoring the barriers between us, torturing ourselves by feeling our bodies shift beneath as our hands roam over backs, chests, hips, thighs, necks, hair…

I move to finally kiss Nemo, but he turns his head so that my lips fall on the corner of his mouth. I let out a longing sigh, but show my respect for his choice by trailing my kisses up his cheek instead. I finish with a kiss on his nose, and then both of us burst out laughing.

“Just a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle longer!” Nemo rubs my back. “You made meeeee wait, and now I’m doing the same for yooooou! Fwee hee hee~ just until this beaaauuuty can sink beneath the waves and our success is assuuuuured!”

He cups my cheek in his hand, smiling gleefully at me.

“Yes, that look of adoration on your face, surely- surely diving beneath the sea will complete my experiment!” He leans in rubs his cheek against mine. “And when it’s finally done, when you’re finally mine completely, then…”

He pulls me close to him and hugs me tight, leaning his chin on my shoulder. “I will give you freeeeedom! I will give you happiness…. the only way I caaaan!”

—–

Barbicane, Cardia, and Nemo are on the bridge– with Nemo at the helm, of course.

We’re sailing out to an acceptable depth for a submerged tour circling the island. This will be our test, and if we’re successful the next step will be our voyage!

As much as I wanted to be near Nemo, he told me that I would have a better view of the wildlife from the salon.

We’re sailing along the insular shelf, which can reach up to about 100 fathoms deep, so we won’t have to go out too far to dive.

I hear static over the intercom.

“Laaaaadies and geeeentle-men!”

Nemo’s voice is so ridiculous, I’m a little embarrassed at how it affects me.

“Engiiiiine… STANDBYYYYYYYYYY!!”

I hear Barbicane in the background: “You don’t have to yell that over the intercom, I’m right here!”

I hear footsteps, and soon Barbicane walks through, giving me a smile and a wave as he heads into the back.

A moment passes, and the submarine begins to hum.

“Prepare to DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!”

I have to cover my ears from the loudness of Nemo’s voice, but the spectacle in front of me makes the ringing in my ears worth it.

We’re diving.

Bubbles begin flying up past the porthole as the surface world disappears into liquid space.

It feels like we’ve entered into a more forgiving sky, plains of coral and rock stretching out beneath us like tiny buildings.

It takes all of my willpower not to press my face against the porthole.

It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“Noooow, my most precious guests, sit down and relax while I take you on a tour of this Mysteeeeeerious Islaaaaaaaaand!”

I can’t sit and relax, though. All I can do is stare at the life slowly flitting by like birds.

I’m glad I have a sketchbook nearby, because soon Cardia bursts into the room and excitedly points out the porthole.

“There’s a pod of dolphins ahead,” she says, an excited smile on her face. “I’ve never seen one in person before!”

Cardia and I are standing side-by-side when the dolphins come into view. My hands are trembling as I hold my charcoal.

They’re so close to the Harper that I can see every detail up close.

I sink into the chaise lounge and begin sketching furiously.

We pass various schools of fish like tuna and swordfish, and I’m busy sketching a particularly lovely tuna when Nemo opens the door to the salon.

“Enjoying the tooooour?” he looks over my shoulder at my sketches.

“There’s so much, I don’t know where to begin. I’m drawing as fast as I can…”

“And what about you, Cardia-chan?”

Cardia looks back at us from the porthole and smiles. “It’s exciting. It really feels like the limits of science have been pushed. If we continue like this, I know that Impey will have no trouble reaching the moon!”

“How cuuuuute….” but Nemo’s voice trails off as he looks through the porthole. “Oh– ohohoho!” He suddenly grins and runs up to the porthole. “Looks like I get to test this out sooner than I thought!” He slides over to the wall next to the porthole and pulls a switch.

A small panel in the floor opens and something that looks like a small phonograph slowly rises.

“What is that?” I ask as Cardia and I walk over to it.

“It’s a hydrophone~” he says. “We’ll be able to hear them! Listen, listen!”

Though we aren’t sure what we’re listening for, we lean in close and listen.

Soon, we hear something. It’s an eerie, echoing noise.

“It sounds… sad…” I whisper.

Nemo tilts his head and gestures to the porthole. I hear Cardia gasp, and I follow her gaze.

In the distance, I see a shadow sailing through the tides like a dirigible.

This time, I can’t stop myself from putting my hands on the porthole and getting as close to the glass as I can.

“It’s a humpback whale,” I murmur. “The males will sing to each other as a form of socialization… I wonder if this one is looking for its companions.”

I can’t begin to describe the beauty of that solitary giant, its lonely call reverberating through the salon.

“It looks just like an angel…” my sentimentality is making my words sound poetic than scientific, but the spectacle in front of me is shaking me down to my very soul.

Soon, the whale drifts out of view, its song fading into the nothingness of the blue. Nemo hits the switch again, and the hydrophone disappears back into the floor. He nods to both of us before leaving with a flourish, sweeping his coat behind him.

“He’s really in his element like this, isn’t he?” Cardia shakes her head. “I wonder if Impey will be like this once he gets into space. …. Pauline?”

I look away from the porthole, wiping my eyes.

“I’m sorry, I just…” I dab my cheeks with a handkerchief. “It’s funny, I didn’t bring this kerchief for myself!”

—–

We spend most of the day sailing around the island. My hands are aching from trying to draw so much, I just can’t keep up with all the life I’m seeing!

But all too soon we’re pulling back into the harbor, to the cheers of Cyrene Smith and her followers.

We’re quickly ushered inside to write our report over a grand dinner. It holds no candle to Barbicane’s cooking, but I’m grateful all the same.

Everybody is so happy… I will truly remember this day. I never thought I would be able to explore this other world, so close to us and yet inaccessible to man.

But I’m not ready for it to end yet, so instead of retiring to the barracks I walk back out to the harbor.

The Harper is still there, of course, glorious in the golden hues of the setting sun. I walk up to her and whisper, “You are so beautiful… it’s all I can do to stand before you.”

“Hmmm~ you miiiiight have missed your calling as a poet!”

I look over to see Nemo approaching the harbor. When he’s in front of me, he grins. “Buuuuut I’m grateful that you ignored that and pursued the gloooorious path of science!”

I laugh and nervously push a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “If I’m gifted at poetry, then how come I can’t think of anything to say right now?”

“Ahhh~ maybe because it’s the researcher who should be doing the talking instead of the test subject, yeeeees~?”

I swallow nervously when he puts his hands on my shoulders.

“Ufufu… you still have that look in your eyes that you did when we first met at the prison. That wonder, that bewilderment, that hungry curiosity…” he lifts my chin up so he can look at me better. “But there’s something deeper to it now, isn’t there? Yes, you said as much that night when we saw my cousin off. But even more, now, tell me–”

He sucks in his breath.

“Do you adore my genius? Will you follow my pursuits to your most extreeeeeme limits?” He trails his gloved fingertips over my mouth. “You already love my creation, the beautiful achievement floating in the water there, but… Professor… my cute, cute professooor… will you take everything I have to give~?”

I can barely say ‘yes’ before our mouths meet. I’m not even sure who leaned in more, who instigated, which one of us gripped the other first and smashed our bodies against each other.

It’s hot, both the humidity and the force of our first kiss. It wasn’t beautiful, not in the least. It was desperate and needy, like our kisses were the only things that could save us from our gnawing loneliness.

Not just our lips, but our teeth and tongues meet, biting and licking and expressing all the shameful and disgusting thoughts we’ve been harboring ever since we met!

When he pulls away to wipe his mouth, I grab him by his long hair and pull him back down to my height.

“You made me–” I lick his lips. “– Wait for–” a kiss on his chin. “–Half of a–” I put my mouth over his and slide my tongue in as deep as it can go before pulling back for air. “–A damn year!”

Nemo pushes me back, and before I realize what’s happening he has me shoved against the side of the Harper.

“Then teeeeell me!” he grins, his expression muddled with lust and deranged by genius. “Tell me it wasn’t worth every bit of that aaaaagony!”

I pull him back in by the collar. He braces himself against the submarine with both hands, pinning me in-between him and his creation. It’s like his kisses are infecting me with his madness, from my mouth to my jawline and even lower. His breath is hot in my ear, and I shriek in delight when I finally feel him close his mouth over my throat, pressing his teeth into my skin like I wanted him to all those months ago.

I suppose it’s this fairy-tale vampire kiss that finally makes us both slow down. I can feel our pulses throbbing against each other, my blood pounding in my ears as the ache of my neck begins to match the ache coming from inside my body.

Nemo finally pulls back and licks his lips, even though he wasn’t close to drawing blood. Then he leans his forehead against mine and we concentrate on our breathing, slowly realizing that we won’t disappear from each other’s arms.

I slowly, raggedly wrap my arms around his neck and hug him tight, whispering my confession so only he can hear: “I love you.”

He pulls me back away from the submarine and onto the harbor, returning my hug.

“Saying ‘thank you’… isn’t enough, is it?” he whispers, and I feel his lips curve into a smile. “Theeeen… I’ll say the same thing. ‘I love you’, my cute… cute professor. My Polly-chan. I really… reeeeeaaaaaalllly…. love you.”

We let go of one another and he looks down at me, the rising moon casting him in shades as blue as the sea nearby.

It’s strange, but for a moment he looks… torn. Torn and very, very sad.

But in the next moment, he draws me back in to him. “And now, I’ll make you happy the only way I can~”

This time, the kiss is gentle. We’re able to feel the softness of our lips instead of trying to devour each other.

He runs his fingers through my hair and tilts my head back before kissing me again.

I feel a pinch at the base of my neck, and I wince, but Nemo’s kiss distracts me from any other thoughts.

But, I feel my grip on him beginning to slip. My mouth grows heavy, and soon falls slack against Nemo’s skin.

I’m… exhausted.

He cradles me in his arms, my body heavy and my mind groggy.

As I slip away, he pulls back one of his hands, and I see a needle glint in the moonlight. An empty syringe.

I look up at him, at the smile still on his face despite what he’s done.

“Ne….. mo…”

He quietly shushes me and kisses my forehead, petting my hair until I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	20. My Eternal Rival!

The syringe shatters when it hits the pier.

“That’s…”

I walk towards the source of the noise. In the shadow of the submarine stands Nemo, and in his arms–

“Pauline!”

I run towards them before I can fully comprehend what happened.

“What happened?!”

Nemo is gently petting her hair, murmuring something. When he finally registers my presence, he turns his head towards me so slowly that it looks unnatural.

I take a deep breath, then repeat: “What happened?”

Nemo’s expression is blank for a few seconds, then he slowly, forcefully smiles.

“I suppooooose it was wise of you to keep an eye on me…. ‘Doll’.“

He gingerly lays Pauline down on the pier, taking a moment to brush a few stray hairs away from her face.

“I’ll leave the good Professor to you, then… it’s time for me to leave.”

“No.”

He looks a little surprised at my defiance, but I’m certain of one thing: this is an act.

I take a step towards him, my face firm. “Nemo, I want you to tell me what happened.”

Nemo sighs and puts a hand on his hip. “I doubt you’d understand, little doll, but I’ll humor you… and keep it as simple as possible.”

The corner of his mouth twitches when he sees that I have no reaction to his cruel nickname for me. I stay silent, waiting for him to speak.

“I’m keeping my promise to her. I’m making her happy, the only way I can.”

I furrow my eyebrows and wait for him to continue. He doesn’t.

“That makes no sense. You saw how happy she was on the Harper! What kind of happiness could she possibly get by the man she loves leaving her?”

Nemo sways for a moment, then grimaces. “W-What would something like yooooooou know? A heartless homunculus who doesn’t even understand looooove?!”

He waits for me to have a reaction, but my stare is even.

“Every time you call me ‘doll’ or ‘homunculus’, you’re telling me that this isn’t how you actually feel. The real Nemo would never be so unscientific.”

I see the whites of his eyes behind his goggles. He curls his lips back as he takes a threatening step towards me. “How daaaaaaaaaaare–”

I interrupt him. “You told me earlier that hypotheses can change based on new evidence. What kind of scientist would turn his back on that evidence? Nemo… tell me how you really feel. What you’re really trying to accomplish, because I know that this isn’t you!”

Nemo throws his head back and shrieks in frustration, covering his face with his hands. He staggers backwards and balances himself on the Harper, his entire body shaking. I take this opportunity to run over to Pauline.

As I suspected, she’s sleeping soundly.

“Ehehe…”

I turn around to look at Nemo. He’s still holding his face, but I can see his delirious smile.

“Ha… hahaa… haaaahahahahaaaaAAHAHAHAHA!!!”

I’m rooted to the spot, unsure of whether I should go get help or if I should continue to try to reason with him.

I’m starting to think that Impey would be better at this when Nemo speaks:

“Don’t you remeeeeeember, Car~di~a~chan? Don’t you remember what Aleeeiiister saaaaid? My very exiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistence is a pile of lieeeeeeeeeeees!” 

I do remember that. I had thought that it was throwaway commentary at the time, but clearly Aleister had known everything that Nemo was hiding behind his ridiculous facade.

“HOW-E-VEEEER!” Nemo points a finger at me. “I would never, NEVER lie about scieeeeeeence. … I’ll give you that one… Cardia-chaaan…”

He lowers his hand and looks past me, down at Pauline.

“And I would never, ever lie…. about my love for my professor.”

He then turns around and scrambles onto the Harper, frantically opening the hatch and leaping inside.

“No!” I run towards the submarine, but it begins to shift before I can get close enough to hold on. 

“Impey…” 

I take another look at Pauline before I begin to sprint back towards the barracks.

—–

The rocking of the water only comforts Nemo a touch as he begins driving the Harper out to sea. He’s focused on the expanse ahead of him, ready for it to swallow him whole.

Everything is muted below the surface- color is drowned, sound is nothing but a mournful cry and a distant echo, and movement is deadened by resistance.

Yes, this serenity is what he needs in his life now. A solitude to dull the ache of reality. A place where no one can–

BANG!

Nemo looks around, raising an eyebrow. “Hrrmm~?”

Where was he? Oh, right. A solitude to completely envelop him and–

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Nemo frowns. There is most definitely someone or something on top of the Harper. He quickly pulls the periscope to his height and peers into it, rotating it until it lands squarely on the orange fabric covering Impey Barbicane’s posterior.

For once, Nemo is at a loss for words, and all he can do is watch as his eternal rival crawls along the top of his submarine and begins to… slide down the front.

“HEY!!!”

Nemo doesn’t want to turn around, but he does… very slowly…

Impey Barbicane is upside-down, staring angrily through one of the large portholes as he hangs onto it like a deranged orangutan.

“Nemo! Turn this submarine around, I mean it!”

Nemo walks up and peers through the porthole, examining his precariously hanging friend.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Impey continues to pound on the porthole.

Nemo idly glances at the mechanisms on his bridge and taps his finger against his chin.

“Engines, standby~” he muses. “Prepare to dive~”

“NEMO I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU MAKE THIS THING DIVE I WILL HOLD A MAGNET TO YOUR FACE!”

Nemo furrows his eyebrows and points to his face. “GOLD HAS NOOOOO MAGNETIC ATTRACTION YOU NITWIT!”

“Yeah, well congratulations, because this nitwit is your so-called eternal rival, remember?!”

Nemo takes a step back from the porthole and inhales before focusing his intense stare at Impey.

“Swim away, Impeeeey Barbicaaaane…” Nemo’s voice is dark. “Swim away like a good little fish or you will be dragged doooooooown!”

“Fine! Time for me to show you what this genius engineer is really made of!” Impey grunts and scuttles around before beginning to climb back up to the roof.

Nemo hopes against hope that his friend is smart enough to dive into the water and make it back to shore. No, he’s plenty smart… at this point it has to do with sheer stubbornness.

And stubbornness is something that Impey Barbicane has plenty of, because he’s stubbornly opening up the hatch!

“I– IMPEY BARBICAAAAAAAAAAANE!!”

“Move, I’m coming in!”

Nemo presses himself against the console, watching in horror as the hatch opens up under Impey’s incredible strength. He leaps down and looks at the scientist with narrow eyes so bright that Nemo’s afraid he will be burned.

“Mind explaining what you’re doing, Nemo?” asks Impey.

Nemo crosses his arms and smiles. “Exaaaaaaaaaaactly what it looks like, Impeeey Barbicane! I’m taking the Harper out to seaaaaaaaaa!”

“You know this thing can’t be manned by just one person!” Impey raises his voice.

Nemo shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t seem to have any trouble soooo far… buuuut, if you’re offering to join me on my voyage, I would be happy to accept~!”

“Tch, I don’t plan on joining any coward running away!” Impey snaps. “And that’s just what you’re doing, Nemo. You’re running away because you’re afraid to fall in love again!”

“HAAAAAAAA—-HAHAHA!”

Impey jumps back when Nemo suddenly bursts out laughing.

“Is– is thaaaaaaaaaat what it looks like, Impey Barbicaaaaaaaaaane?!” Nemo’s entire body is shaking from the force of his laughter. “It’s too late for thaaaat!”

He shakes his head, his face suddenly turning serious. “I took that shot of pain back when we escaped Buckingham.”

“Then why are you running? Nemo, do you know how hard Polly-chan is going to cry when she realizes that you’re gone?! I can’t stand men who would make a girl cry like that!”

“I knoooow… I know she’ll cry,” says Nemo. “But she’s having a few tears now instead of a lifetime of isolation.”

Impey raises his eyebrows. “What… what are you talking about?” He turns around as Nemo walks past him, through the bunks and into the salon. “Hey, I’m not done talking yet! Nemo!”

When Impey reaches the salon, he sees Nemo standing in front of a map of the world that he’s pinned to one of the bookcases. He reaches up and traces his fingers over Asia, finally to that beautiful country that he can never see again.

“My home doesn’t exist anymore, Impey Barbicane,” his voice is pained. “It’s still on the map there, see? But it’s… it’s not the same. Colonization has destroyed that land, and its people are eternally suffering under that damned Empire’s heel!”

He leans his head forward and rests it against the map. “But there are other ways to lose your home.”

Nemo reaches up with his other hand and drags it across Europe until it hovers over France.

“What do you think becoming an enemy of the Empire would do to you, Impey Barbicane? Becoming a willing accomplice of the man who lorded over the skies in a chariot of metal– Impey Baaarbicaaaane, do you think she would ever be able to go back home?!”

Impey can only watch as Nemo digs his fingertips into the map and rips through France, shreds of the paper falling to the floor.

“What’s worse than your home being destroyed–?! Only thiiiiiis–!! Having your home turn its back on yoooooou! That rejection— I could never wish it on heeerrr!!”

Nemo leans back before slamming his head into the bookcase, a pitiful moan rising from his throat.

“If I leave– if she believes I’ve taken her dream and left– then she can still go hoooooooome! She can go back to her family, to the friends that are still living—!”

His moan turns into a hysterical sob.

“If oooonly she didn’t feel the same way as I did–! If only she failed the experiment, if only– if only she rejected meeee! Then, none of this would have happened! I wouldn’t– I wouldn’t want to spare her this lonely faaaaaaaaate!!”

Nemo sinks to the floor and clutches his head in his hands, trembling.

Impey looks at his friend, his “rival” collapsed on the floor. He sighs and shakes his head.

“Have you tried talking to her about it…?” he asks, his voice gentle. “I mean, look, I know I’m not the greatest example– I clam up when I even think about talking to my angel about my real feelings, but… man, you’ve gotta talk to her. Tell her what you’re afraid of. Be honest with her, you know?”

Nemo just hugs himself tighter, sobbing louder.

“I’m putting the Harper back in port,” says Impey. “If you’re intent on making Polly-chan cry, then you’re going to have to be there to see it. But, if you talk to her… Nemo, I really think you might have found something special.”

Nemo hiccups and slowly looks up at Impey from the floor.

“Sometimes, what people call ‘home’ isn’t a place. We’ve both lost our home, you know? But, Nemo, my new home is Cardia-chan, Saint-chan, Lupin, Fran, the others… and you. Never would’ve thought this when we first met, but you’re part of my home now. And I hope that you’ll let all of us be part of your home, too.

Impey rubs the back of his head and laughs. “I mean, you kind of don’t have a choice at this point. You’ve put us through so much– so you’re stuck with us, right? Okay, then… let’s go ‘home’, Nemo.”

Impey extends his hand to Nemo, and Nemo stares at it for a long time.

Finally, he reaches out to Impey, and Impey helps him stand back up. Then the scientist leans on the engineer, and they hobble to the bridge to send the Harper back home.


	21. Delirium

I don’t want to wake up.

The longer I keep my eyes closed, the longer I can pretend to feel his lips on mine again. I can ignore the glimpse of the syringe in his hand, I can ignore the sensation of reality slipping into a drug-induced coma. I can focus on the ache of his loving bite and not the ache from his needle in my neck!

Yes, laying here like this I can pretend that my prince charming will awaken me from an enchanted sleep.

…

But I’m not a princess.

And Nemo, he’s not a prince.

No– we’re both scientists!

I finally will myself to open my eyes to the flickering electric light of my room. I’ve been changed into my robes and tucked into bed, and when I inhale I’m pleasantly surprised by a familiar scent.

I slowly turn my head to see a bundle of dried lavender sitting on my nightstand.

I sit up in my bed and begin to reach for it when I hear a gasp.

“She’s awake!” Cyrene Smith looks over at me excitedly before turning to one of her assistants. “Go get Cardia and Professor Barbicane!”

“Wait,” my voice is soft as I interrupt them. “I’m sorry, but please don’t get them.” I settle back down against my pillow.

Smith looks at me curiously before nodding and dismissing her assistant.

“I want to stay like this a little while longer,” I admit.

“Are you still feeling groggy?” asks Smith. “You’ve been out for almost an entire day.”

“A full day…?”

Then I was drugged.

All evidence had pointed to that, of course, but I had hoped that maybe…

“Oh, don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything exciting, just some more tests on the Harper.”

“The Harper…” I peer at Smith. She’s explicitly not making eye contact with me. “Judging from you trying to summon them, Cardia and Barbicane are fine.”

I reach out to the bundle of lavender with a trembling hand and pick it up, bringing it close to me so I can inhale its calming scent.

Smith shifts uncomfortably in her seat.

“What about Nemo?” I force the question out.

“Professor Nemo…” Smith hesitantly trails off. “He’s… been in the Harper since last night…”

Smith balls her hands into fists and stares at the floor as she speaks: “He tried to take the Harper, Professor Aronnax. I’m so sorry…”

It was like my body had been enveloped in ice. Why would he try to take the Harper?

We had kissed… we had said that we loved each other, but then he drugged me, and–!

I bury my face in the lavender, but its scent does nothing to soothe me.

Smith jumps up and runs around to my side, putting an arm around my shoulder.

“But it’s okay, Professor! We stopped him! Please don’t cry–!”

I’m surprised that I’m not crying. Maybe at this point I have no more tears to give.

I shake my head and look at Smith, doing my best to speak slowly and firmly.

“Did Nemo give an explanation for his actions?”

“He’s had lots of private conversations with Cardia and Professor Barbicane, but he hasn’t mentioned much to me…” Smith trails off. “I really only saw him when he comes to visit you.”

My cheeks flush despite me wishing with all my might that they wouldn’t.

“He came to see me?” I ask, making my voice sound like it does when I give lectures to bored undergraduates.

“For a long time,” says Smith. “He would have slept in here if Professor Barbicane let him. I feel bad for listening to his conversations with you, but…”

“But Profes– er, Barbicane didn’t want him to be alone, right?”

Smith nods.

“What did he say to me?” I ask.

Smith looks away. “I… I don’t think it’s my place to say. I’m sorry, Professor Aronnax. Oh, um, he said that your bruise is healing well, though!”

My bruise–

I slap a hand over my neck in humiliation.

Smith looks at my reaction and, after a moment, blushes as though it had just occurred to her what the bruise was. For someone who talks big, she’s actually rather innocent. It’s cute.

I want to see it, too. I want to see how big the mark he left on me is. I look down at my lap and quietly wring my fingers, trying to keep the feelings down. After all, how could I think like this after what he did to me? Logically, I should be on high alert. I should be angrier than I am, not longing to see him again!

Clearly, the quickest way to sort things out would be to speak with the man himself. Yes, surely that would be the best way. I can tell him, firmly, how much pain he’s put me in. How angry I am… that he’s made me so pathetic.

I look at Smith and pat her on the hand. “Thank you for speaking with me. If you wouldn’t mind alerting Barbicane and Cardia…”

“Yes, certainly!” Smith stands up.

I try to finish my request, but I find it hard to speak.

However, Smith notices my pained expression and quietly looks at her watch. “I think I’ll wait a little bit to find them, though.”

I tilt my head at her, my expression asking my question.

“You see, it’s almost six o’clock,” she shows her watch to me. “People can say lots of things about Professor Nemo, but he is punctual. He said he would come here after the day’s testing ended.”

Smith smiles warmly at me. “And… I think that I won’t be needed here this evening. You clearly have your senses about you now… you don’t need a chaperone.”

“Smith!” I smile and blow her a kiss in gratitude. “Thank you for understanding. I’m sure many, Barbicane and Cardia included, would say a great many things about my ‘sense’ when it comes to that man.”

Smith just grins. “Love makes us all a li’l crazy, Professor. I’m just a little disappointed that I didn’t get to you first.”

I sigh and offer a self-deprecating laugh, “Well, depending on his explanation, you might still have a chance. I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

She winks at me playfully before turning to exit.

As she shuts the door behind her, I settle into my pillows and close my eyes, holding the lavender close to my breast.

Just what will I say to Nemo when I come in? Will I tell him that he hurt me? Will I cry? Will my frustration melt away as soon as I see him?

I don’t have to swim in my thoughts for long, because soon I hear the door open and then shut again.

I should open my eyes and stare him down, but that childish girl inside of me stubbornly refuses.

I hear him walk over to my bedside and pull up a chair before sitting down.

I keep on telling myself that I don’t want to see him, but my body still jolts when he puts his hand over mine and picks up the lavender.

“The dosage that I gave you shoooould have worn off by now,” says Nemo.

I turn my head towards him and open my eyes.

His lips are drawn thin, and both his legs and arms are crossed in a pose that couldn’t be anything but defensive.

He’s just afraid of my questioning as I am of his answers.

I try to soften my expression and give him a smile, but I’m not sure if I look all that comforting.

How should I proceed? Should I start with ‘why?’ Should I try to lighten the mood with a joke? ‘Oh, I knew I needed to get some rest, but that was a bit much!’

Finally, I ask: “How are you doing?”

Nemo looks at me and raises an eyebrow. “That’s the question you’re going to ask me?”

I shrug. “I think it’s a good question… most people don’t drug someone and try to steal a submarine if they’re feeling well.”

Nemo laughs, but it isn’t a happy one.

“Noooo… I guess they don’t,” he responds.

Silence settles over us, and I reach out to pick up the lavender again. “Did you do this?”

Nemo nods. “I wanted you to have sweet dreams, at least.”

The silence falls over us again, and I take the time to memorize his features. I want to imprint his image on my heart, so I’ll never forget it, but… my mind is still telling me to be angry. My mind is still telling me not to trust him, to ask for an explanation.

“Nemo…” I take a deep breath. “Why… did you do this to me?”

He uncrosses his legs, and for a moment I’m afraid he’s going to stand up and leave. I sit up straight in bed and look at him pleadingly.

“I mean– it makes no sense. If you just wanted the submarine, then why bring me to the island in the first place? I’m no engineer, I didn’t contribute to the design. I was just… moral support, if that. You never needed me, so why go to the trouble?”

Nemo opens his mouth and looks at me as though he’s trying to process what I’m explaining.

“If you just wanted to take the submarine, then why…” I take a deep breath of lavender to steady myself. “Then why say that you love me? I don’t understand… I don’t understand how that could have been a part of your plan.”

Nemo finally, slowly leans back in his chair and stares up at the ceiling.

“Reeaaallly~? Honestly, both you and Impey Barbicaaaane… you say you care about me, but you think so liiiiiiiiiittle of me and my motivaaaations. Thievery…? You think I did aaaaall this because I wanted to take the Haaaarper?”

His words have a surprising reaction on me.

They make me angry.

“Your motivations?!” I throw the covers off of me and swing my legs over the side of the bed so I’m looking at him eye-to-eye. “How can I– how can anyone– know your motivations if you don’t talk to us?! Nemo–!”

I shake my head, clenching the lavender in my fist so tightly that a fresh burst of its aroma fills the air.

“I don’t know what you want, Nemo… I don’t know what makes you angry, I don’t know what you’re scared of, I… I want to be there for you, but how can I try to understand you if… if you don’t…”

My sentence had started out so well. I had sounded so forceful, so angry, but now it’s all ruined by frustrated tears. “Nemo, please tell me… tell me what you were trying to do, because I’m so confused!”

I hold my head in my hands, pieces of the lavender crumbling around me as theories run through my mind.

Nemo stands up, and I look up at him, fearing that he’ll walk away.

But instead he sits down next to me on the bed and gently takes away the bundle of lavender. He slides his fingers down the stems, and the rest of the buds scatter and land on the sheets between us.

“Breathe.”

I do as he says. I inhale slowly, deeply.

I’m not sure if it’s the aroma, or the fact that I’m breathing slowly, or even that Nemo is nearby, but… I begin to calm. I can feel the oxygen inside of me, filling me.

He puts his gloved hand on my cheek, and again the scent of lavender fills my head.

“More than aaaaanything… I want you to realize… that I meant what I said,” says Nemo.

My eyes widen.

“I love you, and I wanted to make you happy… the only way you could possibly be happy–!”

This time, he’s the one with tears falling down his cheeks as he speaks: “By going home… by going back to your homeland… by being with your family!”

I don’t understand, and my expression clearly shows this, because he cups both of my cheeks in his hands so I’m looking right at him.

“You said that you would follow me, even if it made you a criminal in Britain’s eyes. Pauline…”

My heart aches when he says my name like that.

“… I don’t think you will ever understand what it means to be an enemy of the British Empire. I tried to leave so that you would never come to understand what that means!”

The corner of his lips curls into a rueful smile.

“Oh, I know… I know what you’ll say. You don’t mind, you’ll face it all… as long as I’m by your side, right? Such brave, pretty words, my professor… but soon you’ll be filled with an unimaginable pain– and only then will you realize what anguish it is to find that you can neeeever go home again!”

I stare at him, lips trembling.

If you had asked me a year ago whether I thought war was horrid, I would have said ‘yes, of course’.

But thinking that war is terrible because of your morals is different from seeing war’s memories reflected in the face of the person you love the most.

“Go back to Paris, Professor Aronnax,” says Nemo. “Go back home, to your Conseil and your university. All I ask is that you keep me in your heart as a fond memory: the greatest scientist the world has ever seen, who had his heart captured by a professor who gets too excited about fish.” He runs a hand through my hair and wipes my tears away.

I want to laugh at his words, but the pain masked by humor is too great. I reach up to touch his face, his skin hot with emotion. I wipe his tears with my thumbs before pushing his goggles up onto his head. His violet pupils stand out against his bloodshot eyes, and I gently tilt his head down so I can kiss his eyelids.

“I won’t despair,” I whisper. “And I won’t ever realize that anguish, Nemo.”

Nemo shakes his head, but I hold him in place so he has to look at me.

“Because I will never give up,” I say. “No matter what Queen Victoria does to keep me away, no matter what Aleister plots, I know that someday I will walk the streets of Paris again as a free woman– and not just Paris, but London, too!”

I kiss him on the cheek. “And I won’t be alone, either. You will be there at my side, my co-conspirator and collaborator! My… my partner…”

I slow down to look at him, seeing if he understands the meaning of my words. All the different ways that I’m saying ‘I love you, Nemo’.

I shake my head. “And if you had taken the Harper, I wouldn’t have returned home. No, there’s no way I could go back to Paris knowing that you were out there somewhere, Nemo! I would find another submarine, I would buy a boat, I would do something, anything so that I could find you again! The ocean is vast, but it’s not infinite. I would sail hundreds, thousands of leagues across the sea just to find you again! I–”

Nemo wraps an arm around me and pulls my body to his, interrupting me with a chaste peck on the lips. Then, while I’m still stunned, he stands up and backs away towards the door.

“You’re a hopeless optimist at beeeest…” he mutters. “… And a delirious fool at worst, Professor Aronnaaaaaaaax!”

Nemo throws his head back and laughs. “It’s easy, it’s sooooo easy to talk bravely when you have no knowledge of what suffering truly is! Very well, my deeeeearest– you have won me!”

I can only watch silently as flicks his goggles back on over his eyes and strikes a dramatic pose, one hand to his heart and another to his head. “Yes, truuuly~! Until the sun rises on our departure for the sea, my knowledge, heart, and body are entirely yours~! Buuuuut, I’m sure you will soon find that even this genius scientist is a minuscule reward compared to your own freedom~! Yes… quench that burning thirst, gorge yourself on everything that is meeeee—!”

Then he drops his hands to his sides and glares at me with a stare so cold that I’m grateful that his goggles obscure his eyes. “– Then reject me. Abandon me, like the reeeest of this world… I’m begging you…..”

I scramble to my feet, but Nemo has already left


	22. Lavender Cookies

I’m not done yet.

I throw open the door to my room and begin my pursuit. I look around for any sign of Nemo, but he’s already disappeared from view.

I curse under my breath and begin to run in one direction, dashing down the spiral staircase two at a time.

“Woah, Polly-chan–?” Barbicane sidesteps so that I don’t crash into him. “What’s going on?”

“Where is he?” I grab the engineer by the collar and pull him down to my height. “Where did Nemo go?!”

Barbicane shakes his head. “I don’t know, I haven’t seen him! Polly-chan, what happened? How are you feeling?”

“Forget me! Nemo’s not making any sense!”

Barbicane looks at me with a confused expression. “Like… usual, or…?”

The words aren’t coming, it’s like I’m trying to work around a wall of fog that’s stopping any rationality from reaching my voice.

“Damnit…!” I clench my fists in frustration.

“Hold on,” says Barbicane. He takes a step back and holds my shoulders so we’re eye-to-eye. “Slow down, talk to the handsome genius engineer, okay?”

“I can’t slow down,” I shake my head, fighting his warmth. “Not when I’m so worried about him…”

Nemo… what is he thinking? Did I go too deep? Did my love hurt him? I know he told me that he was being honest with me, but… there are too many different sides, too many different faces, and I’m confused. Would he be better if I really did leave? Have I been selfishly pushing my wants on him this whole time…?

I cover my face with my hands. Barbicane doesn’t need to see me like this, nobody does.

“You know what I think you need?” asks Barbicane. “I think you need a nice hot drink and a biscuit. Nemo’s not going anywhere, I can promise you that.”

I slowly look up at him from my hands. He won’t stop smiling at me. He’s so… calming, like a big family dog.

I take a deep breath, trying not to be sucked in by his infectious smile and bright eyes. “How can you be so sure after what he did yesterday?”

“Well… we talked a lot,” says Barbicane. “… and I trust him. He’s actually a pretty honest guy, in his own weird way.”

Then a frown stretches over his face. “He messed up badly when he drugged you, though, and there’s no way in hell I’m excusing him for it.”

He crosses his arms as he lets out a resigned sigh, “But… I really think he was scared. He doesn’t have a good track record with other people, you know? He was muttering something about how he’s too great to be understood… and I think you might be one of the few people who’s actually tried to understand him. Finding someone who will listen to your problems and be there for you… I mean, I think it’s great! But, for someone like Nemo… yeah, that’s scary stuff.”

I look at Barbicane’s confident features. He’s not lying, I can tell from his expression. Barbicane is always honest and up front, pretty much the opposite of Nemo. Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with him, instead?

Finally, I relent: “I guess it’s my turn to have tea time, isn’t it?”

He ruffles my hair, grinning. “Nah, this is just a drink between friends. Come on in.”

—–

Barbicane’s room is just as comfortable as he is. It’s warm, with wrenches and bolts and all kinds of fun little gadgets strewn about on the tables and chairs. This is a place of creativity.

When I came in, Barbicane immediately cleared off a chair and made me sit before wrapping me up in a blanket. It really wasn’t needed, but he insisted: “The cutest girls are the coziest girls!”

It isn’t long before Barbicane pushes open the door to his room and carries in a tray with two cups and a plate of cookies.

“Just finished icing these babies up when we ran into each other,” he says with a grin. “Nemo was having a major freakout earlier about lavender. Didn’t get much out of him, but he did say it was for you. So, I thought I’d make you some lavender shortbread for when you wake up.”

He sets the tray down on the one empty space of his writing desk.

“Wanted to make lavender icing, too, but Nemo ran off with the stuff before I could stop him… so I made rose water icing instead. That sound good?”

I just stare at him, my brain having a hard time wrapping around all the words that he said. Finally, I smile and happily take a cookie off of the tray.

“Thank you, Barbicane… this was hardly necessary, but it was very kind of you. I do love lavender…” I say, my face flushing.

“I would always wear the oil because it helps calm me down,” I continue. “I mentioned it to Nemo once, and I’m afraid he ran off with the concept!”

Remembering it makes me so happy. I felt so warm when I’d hug him and surround myself with that scent.

Oh, Nemo, what I wouldn’t give to go back to our more innocent times. Just to forget about everything that’s happened on this island. To just… be with you, without worry and without question.

Barbicane pulls out a chair from among a pile of metal and sits backwards on it, leaning his head and arms on the back.

“So he CAN be romantic, huh?” he says with a grin.

I try the cookie, its aromatic flavor tickling my palette. There’s a bite of mint to it, which makes sense as the plants are related. Science and baking really do go hand in hand.

“Do you know what he did with the lavender he took?” I smile. “He put it by my bed because he wanted me to have sweet dreams.”

“Woah, now, that’s a pretty impressive move! Maybe he should have declared me a rival in romance instead of science….” he thinks about it, then wrinkles his nose. “Actually, scratch that. Yeah, I never said that. Don’t you dare tell him I said that, Polly-chan!”

I hold a hand over my mouth to hide my crumb-filled laughter, and I quickly down a cup of tea.

“What, Barbicane, doesn’t Cardia have a favorite flower?” I ask.

Barbicane scratches his cheek nervously. “Y-You know, she actually… she actually likes all kinds of flowers. She’s so happy she can finally touch them. It’s really, really cute! I’m much better at expressing my feelings through food, though.”

I have a feeling that everything ‘his angel’ does is really, really cute in his eyes… but it’s sweet.

“You know, talking about Cardia-chan like this…” Barbicane trails off. “Nemo’s actually the one who gave me some pretty good advice about telling her how I feel. Of course, I haven’t done it yet, it just doesn’t feel like the right time… b-but yeah, I mean, it sounds like he knows what he’s talking about!”

I begin to take another cookie, then stop and take a sip of my tea instead, trying to think of how to voice my worries.

“Barbicane… did you know about him?”

“Hrm?” Barbicane looks at me with a mouthful of cookie.

“About Nemo, I mean,” I say.

“You’ve gotta be more specific when it comes to Nemo,” says Barbicane. “Did I know about… what? His weird fashion sense? That he sometimes naps with cucumbers over his eyes?”

I stare at Barbicane for a second. “Wait…. really? N-No, that’s not what I meant! I meant the ‘real’ Nemo!”

“The ‘real’ Nemo, huh…?” Barbicane looks down at his teacup. “You know, I feel like that might be where some of these problems are coming from.”

I look up at him with wide eyes.

“It’s not that there’s more than one Nemo or… or one is more ‘real’ than the other,” says Barbicane. “I mean, that might’ve been the case once, I don’t know, I’m not an expert on the guy or anything… man, this is confusing. But the Nemo that he shows us every day is the same as that quiet guy at tea time.”

I look down into my teacup and stir it. “So, you aren’t worried about the fact that he’s hiding things from us?” I ask.

Barbicane shakes his head. “Not really, we all hide things. It doesn’t mean that we’re being dishonest, or that we don’t care about the people we’re talking to. We might be hiding something because we don’t want to hurt, or maybe it’s something that scares us, or maybe it just has nothing to do with who we are now. But we’re still the same person inside, Polly-chan.”

He tilts his head and smiles. “You fell in love with him before you learned about his past, right? I could tell, as soon as you saw him you got really cute. Girls are the cutest when they’re in love!”

I want to protest, but I can’t. I was fascinated by him as soon as I heard him. Admiration stumbled into adoration before I was even fully aware of it.

“Yes… you’re right,” I admit.

“Hehehe, couldn’t hide your true feelings from Mr. Impey!” Impey points at himself with a triumphant grin.

“But he knows that,” I continue. “I told him that, plainly. I said I love the Nemo that I met, and I love the Nemo that I’m discovering…”

“Bingo!” Barbicane points at me like his finger is a gun and ‘fires’. “You’ve gotten so wrapped up in ‘discovery’ that you’ve forgotten that this is one man, not two hiding in a blotchy pink coat! He probably got nervous that you’ll try to dissect him or something. You just need to focus your love power on Nemo– the one and only weirdo scientist. He might look or sound different, or hide something that hurts or act crazy but… he’s all one person.”

“Is that it?” I lean forward. “That’s the solution?”

“Well, I mean…” Impey takes another bite out of a cookie. “There’s going to be more than one solution for more than one problem. I mean, when it comes to romantic partners, you chose one heck of a doozy. I really think you just need to sit down and talk with him. Or, you know…. do other things.”

He pauses to wink.

I narrow my eyes. “What other things, Impey Barbicane?! Have you forgotten that you’re addressing a lady?”

Barbicane slides back in his chair. “Sorry, sorry! Please don’t say my full name like that, it’s terrifying!”

I sigh and lean back in my chair, idly tracing my fingers over my neck.

“I would love nothing more than to sit and talk with him,” I say. “But when we last spoke, he…”

I close my eyes.

“He told me to go back to Paris. He told me that I would regret staying with him, that I would never be able to go home again because I would be branded a criminal.”

“He said something similar to me when I confronted him in the Harper,” says Barbicane.

I sit up straight and look at Barbicane. “It was strange. He said that he would ‘be mine’ until it was time for the submarine to depart, and that after that I could abandon him and go back to my family. Why would I… why would anyone do something like that? Why would he think that I would be capable of something like that?”

Barbicane sighs.

“Geez, he really is going too far with this… I don’t think I can help you with that one, Polly-chan. He might laugh a lot, but he’s the most bitter man I’ve ever met. I think the only way that he’ll begin to believe that you’ll stick around is for you to do just that, no matter how stubborn he gets! Stick to him! Fight the odds, tell him you love him no matter how many times he denies it! Chain yourself to the Harper–”

“I… I’m not going to chain myself to any submersible vessel,” I say.

“Right, well, you get the idea, right? If you love Nemo, you’re going to have to fight for him. Not just Victoria-chan or the Royal Society or anything, but Nemo himself.”

Barbicane stands up and puts a hand on his hip, thumping his chest with his other fist. “And I’ll be right there with you, Polly-chan! So, believe in me! Believe in you! And believe in Nemo!”

“Barbicane…” I stand up and offer him my hand. “Thank you. For everything.” 

When he shakes it, I feel like my arm will be ripped from my socket. Damn these geniuses and their inability to give a normal handshake!

—–

The most likely place where I could find Nemo… Barbicane said that it was here.

But there are no lights on inside of the Harper, giving her the appearance of a mournful coffin. Is it in this darkness that Nemo has sunk into? Or will I merely be fumbling around an electric wonder with all the grace of a buffoon?

I shake my head and hoist my basket, containing the remaining shortbread that Barbicane had made, around my shoulder before climbing on top of the submarine.

At my prodding, the hatch opens with a hiss and I peer into the blackness. But that blackness is not a silent one: the echo of pipes filter into the sky.

Yes, a familiar melody from Johann Sebastian Bach reaches my ears, and I realize that I truly am about to invade Nemo’s personal sanctuary.

I just have to reassure myself that I’m entering as a friend and fellow scientist.

Right.

….

I take a deep breath before beginning to climb down the ladder.


	23. For As Long As We Can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a heart-to-heart, the meaning of two loves and two minds inside the Harper.

As I descend through the hatch, the setting sun casts a beam of ruddy light into the bridge.

It’s still very dim, though, and the brassy surfaces give the room an eerie green glow. I’m hesitant as I close the hatch behind me, pausing to listen to it create its impenetrable seal. Now the only sound remaining is the music of Nemo’s pipe organ reverberating over the hollowness of the submarine.

Such a grandiose instrument is perfect for Nemo to play, and the booming echo reflects his usual manner beautifully. I can do little but hold onto the ladder and stare at the man who fascinates me so.

The open doors leading to the salon frame Nemo’s hunched figure perfectly. His fingers are gliding across the keys so quickly and so fluidly that he could be mistaken for a part of the instrument itself.

I thought that Nemo was the most expressive through his voice and theatrics, but I was wrong. His music, though beautiful, is more powerful than all of that. His teeth are grit, head bent low over the keys, completely focused on the instrument and the music it’s producing.

He either hasn’t noticed me, or is ignoring my presence in favor of his song. I use this to my advantage and slowly make my way towards the salon.

I wish with all of my heart that I could make it so he never has to play so mournfully again. But I can’t heal him. I can’t… ‘dissect’ him, as Barbicane put it. So I’ll accept him, all of him, the one and only mad scientist Nemo.

As I enter the salon, he still doesn’t acknowledge me. I’m grateful that I didn’t interrupt his concentration, though, and I quietly walk towards the porthole.

The porthole is opposite the pipe organ, so when I sit down on the chaise lounge, we have our backs to each other. It’s nice being able to be so close without disturbing him, and I settle in to let his music fill me.

The song that he was playing when I entered was a very recognizable one: Bach’s Toccata and Fugue (in D Minor). From there goes to a prelude from the same composer before moving to one of Wagner’s works. There is hardly a pause in his performance- it’s a lucid melody flowing wherever his thoughts cannot. At least, that’s the impression I’m getting. Either way, he is clearly a genius in more than just science.

But then the music stops, and all I can hear is the sound of our breathing.

“So tell me, Professor Aronaaaaax…. are you here to accept my offeeeeer…?”

“Offer?” I peer over at his back.

“I told yooooou… I’m yours until the Harper sets sail,” he says. “You can have me whenever you want. That’s why you came, isn’t iiiiit~?”

His tone is dark, and I shiver when I realize what he’s insinuating. We’re still not looking at each other, and the darkness makes me feel so incredibly isolated.

“No, I didn’t come here for anything like that,” I say, keeping my voice as even as possible. “I can’t possibly …. I can’t possibly ‘have’ you if it means abandoning you afterwards. I could never do that.”

I go quiet when I hear Nemo giggle bitterly, but eventually he calms down and slowly begins to play the pipe organ again.

“I came here to tell you that I’m not going back to Paris,” I continue. “I’m going with you across the Atlantic, like we originally planned. Nothing has changed.”

I hear Nemo get up from his bench, and slowly he walks around to stand in front of the porthole, looking at me with a gentle expression. His eyes are so beautiful I can hardly remember to breathe.

He hesitates before stepping forward, swaying from side to side. He slowly bends down and cups my cheek in his bare hand. His skin is so warm, it feels like I’m going to melt.

“But… things have changed…” he takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Why don’t you understaaaaaaand–?! Everything has chaaaaaanged–!!”

Before I can fully grasp what’s going on, he shoves me back into the seat with such force that the lounge topples over, our legs splaying in the air as we roll onto the floor.

As I look over at Nemo, he’s laying on the floor, shuddering. I can’t tell if he’s crying or laughing, but either way it is not a happy noise.

I move over to him and, mimicking the comforting motion he’s done to me, begin to gently pet his head.

“Whyyyy…” his voice is broken apart by that incomprehensible noise. “Why do you have to reciprocate my feeeeeeelings–?!”

I pull his hair back so he can breathe easier, but his face is smashed into the floor and I can still barely understand him, let alone see his expression.

“I wanted– I wanted someone to… so badly, I…! I wanted someoooooone… to care about me, to acknowledge me–! To tell me that I really am still heeeeere!”

He pauses to take a breath, and lets it out in a whine.

“Impey Baaaaarbicane… means the woooorld to me, our friendship surpasses the limits of science itseeeeelf… but– but it’s different with you–!! I was so… so haaaaaappy… when you found me…”

I jolt in surprise when he suddenly moves, hoisting himself up and wrapping his arms around my waist, clinging to me in desperation. I’m shaking, but I shift so that his head is resting in my lap, and he can hug me as tight as he needs to.

“Everything you did was perfect… so peeeerfect, I couldn’t help but falling in love with you! If our feelings… our feelings are the same, then whyyyyyyyy am I hesitating?!”

I begin to rub his back in slow circles, letting him speak. Listening, trying to understand as much as I can.

“It’s because now all that I can see is how this love will rip you apart, Pauliiiiiiiiine Arooooooonax! It will be terrible, hot, and paaaaaaaaaainful! You’ll cry, and you’ll beg, and you’ll plead to go back, to go to your gentler existence! Why couldn’t you listen to my waaaarnings?!”

He continues to cry, but I can’t understand most of what he’s saying. The idea is the same, though: if I go with him, I will lose my home. If I love him, I will lose everything I hold dear.

“Nemo…” I sigh. “You’re right, I can’t possibly imagine what it will be like to be branded a criminal in my own country- to be ostracized and punished for the crime of being with the architect of the Nautilus. For loving him. But, Nemo… being with that person… would make the trouble worthwhile.”

“HUNH?!” Nemo snaps his head up to look at me with wide eyes. “You can’t be serious– never seeing your homeland again–?! How could you even thiiiiiiiiink that–?!”

I can’t look at him. Though I had said the phrase ‘I love you’, for some reason the following words make me feel sheepish:

“Because I have faith in our friends… and… being with you would make the pain and the tears worth it… until we can make things right. For both of us.”

He furrows his eyebrows, like he can’t comprehend what I just said.

“I know it’ll be messy, that we’ll hurt and yell and scream… but there will be so many wonderful things, too. Nemo, just think of all that we can discover! Falling in love with you is an adventure I can’t possibly give up.”

I take a deep breath.

“So, I want to sail across the Atlantic in the Harper on a scientific voyage the likes of which the world has never seen… with you. As your, um…”

I look away, my entire face reddening. “L… Lover…”

I swallow before looking back at him. “Can’t a world exist where that happens?”

Nemo slowly sits up, looking at me like he’s trying to analyze me. The look on his face would be comical if it didn’t come from such bitterness.

“Y… You really won’t… leave me?” his voice is quiet and weak. “Even if the whole world goes against you?”

“I know you won’t believe me, but I’ll stay around until you do,” I say. “Even… even if that means ‘always’.”

He stares at me for a long, long time.

Then, he suddenly throws himself around me. Not just his arms, but his legs, too. He’s clinging to me with his entire body, and I return the motion, holding onto him as tightly as I can.

“I told you before… don’t say ‘always’…” Nemo’s voice cracks. “If you have to make a promise… just say ‘as long as you can’… please.”

“Then, Nemo, for as long as I can,” I reach out and wipe his cheek with my thumb. “For as long as I can, let’s pursue love and science together, okay?”

“Mm-hmm!” Nemo throws one of his arms up, though he’s so exhausted that it isn’t as flamboyant as usual. “Surely, surely, suuuuuuuuuuureeeeeeeeely when our great minds combii—ne, our results won’t just cross the ocean, but the entire glooooooooooobe!”

“You sure do change moods quickly!” I laugh.

He looks at me with a shrug. “Sometimes, all you can do is smile. Sometimes, aaaaaaaaall you can do is laugh at how terrible the world is! And, maybe, somethiiiiiiiing good might come into your life after all the bad…”

His smile falters, just for a moment. “Then, you still have to force yourself to smile, because your heart might not believe it’s real.”

I cup his cheek in my hand. It’s sticky with tears, but I’m used to it by now. We’ve seen each other cry so many times: happy tears, pained tears, and now tears of pure exhaustion, pure relief. 

I can’t think of anything to say to reassure him, so all I can do is hold him. I can prove that I’ll stay by doing just that.

“Polly-chan…” Nemo runs a hand through my hair. “May I kiss you again? Look, I’m holding you with my whole body, so there’s no way I can hide anything…”

“Yes, please,” I whisper. “If it’s all right, I just want to hold you like this until it’s time for our voyage to begin.”

“Hmmm~ we both have work to do before we can leeeeaaave, you know that… but tonight! Yes, tonight… let’s just stay here… in our chariot.”

Both of us lean in, and our tear-streaked skin touches as we share another kiss. It’s not desperate, not this time. It’s slow and soft, because both of us know that we’ll hold on to each other… for as long as we can.

—–

Well, ‘as long as we can’ turned out to only be for about an hour. We were scrunched up into such an uncomfortable position on the Harper that we agreed that it would be best to exit for the time being. Metal makes a lousy bed, no matter how enamored with technology you might be.

As Nemo helps me up through the hatch, my ears are assaulted by a wolf whistle.

“Don’t you two look cozy!” Barbicane calls out to us. “Guess my cookies did the trick, huh?”

“Oh…” I trail off. “I … I completely forgot about the cookies!”

“What, you mean theeeeese?” I look over to see Nemo stuff an entire lavender cookie in his mouth. I have no idea how he can fit so much in there, it’s like his mouth is a garbage disposal.

A garbage disposal that’s rather good at kissing, but I’m trying not to think about that as I make this comparison!

“Geez, Nemo, if you eat it like that you won’t be able to enjoy the flavor! Come on!!” Barbicane looks rather insulted. It’s kind of cute.

Nemo responds by opening his mouth to do the same on another cookie, but I quickly grab it out of his hand.

“Aaaaaahhh, my girlfriend is so cruuuueeellll!” Nemo puts a hand to his head and loudly ‘boo-hoo’s.

“N-Nemo!” I hiss for him to be quiet, but Nemo’s comment and my reaction get the expected response from the genius engineer below us.

“I KNEW IT!” Barbicane claps triumphantly. “Took the two of you long enough!”

Well, since my fate is sealed… two can play at this game, Barbicane.

“Well, then… I suppose if you get your act together, our voyage will be a double date, eh?”

“Huh?” Barbicane tilts his head.

“Our voyage,” I repeat. “You, me, Nemo, and Cardia… a double date.”

Barbicane’s confused expression combined with Nemo’s squawk of surprise can only mean one thing.

I slowly look over at Nemo.

“You hadn’t invited him yet, had you?”

“M-My deeeeear, your expression is a little frightening!” Nemo strikes a pose. “I was planning on it, of course–!”

I rub my temples.

“You’re just as bad as Barbicane sometimes,” I murmur, before covering my ears when both of them loudly protest being compared to the other. Rivals, indeed!

“You genius boys are all the same!” I shout in exasperation. “Fine, fine!” I climb down the submarine and begin to walk towards the warehouse.

“Huh? Where are you going, Polly-chan?” Barbicane looks after me.

“I figure you and Nemo can talk about the voyage. I’m going to go invite Cardia!”

Barbicane crosses his arms, a conflicted look on his face.

“I’m… not sure I’ll be going with you,” he says.

I look back at Barbicane, a little surprised by his sudden hesitation.

“You seeee…” Nemo fidgets with a strand of his hair nervously. “Thaaaaat’s why I was hesitating to aaaaaask… it’s the moooooon, isn’t it?”

Barbicane closes his eyes and nods. “Yeah… this isn’t a quick trip, you know? It’s going across the Atlantic Ocean. Trust me, it sounds like a great opportunity, but…”

Barbicane sits down on the pier, cross-legged. Nemo sits down next to him, and the two of them look deep in thought.

“The thing is, if I go back to Steel London now…” Barbicane sighs. “The money I’d be using would be from Victoria.”

No more cute nickname for the queen, huh. He must be serious.

“Man, I can’t stand this!” he rubs his head in frustration. “I want to go to the moon more than anything– I WILL go to the moon– but damnit, I’m not going to use some crooked royal’s blood money while she turns my friend into a scapegoat for Britain’s problems!”

“Impeeeeeeey Barbicaaaaaaaaaaane…” Nemo crosses his arms. “I’m not going to let you use meeeeee as an excuse, either! Your work is for the advancement of science, after aaaaaaall!”

“Don’t say stuff like that,” says Barbicane. “There has to be another way! I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it as often as I need– science is for the hope of humanity! If even one person is hurt by my trip to the moon, then is it really a victory for science?”

“Aahhh…” Nemo slowly looks at Barbicane.

“Don’t you dare answer that, Nemo!” Barbicane snaps at him.

Nemo just grins. “Well, SOOOOOMEONE has to keep the eternal optimist grounded!”

While the two of them continue their back and forth, I have my own eyebrows furrowed in thought.

Money. It always comes down to funding. That’s what got me into this problem in the first place, when my bank account was emptied– wait a minute.

“Wait a minute,” I repeat.

The two boys look at me.

“Barbicane,” I say. “What if I pay you?”

“Huh?” Barbicane stares at me.

“I mean, I can’t promise anything until Aleister is dealt with, but… the funds that I was going to use towards the submarine… it won’t completely fund your project, but it should help you progress until you can find a patron other than Victoria. That is, once I manage to get it back.”

“P-Polly-chan, I can’t ask you to do that!” Barbicane shakes his head.

“You aren’t asking me to do this,” I say. “I’m asking you to be the engineer on the Harper. It will delay your progress, but… it will stop you from having to use Victoria’s money, at least until we can get things sorted out.”

Barbicane looks down at the pier. “…. Let me think about it, okay?”

“Of course,” I say. “But don’t make me wait too long, okay? I want to go… I want to hurry and go where man has not yet tread.”

Nemo stands up and loops an arm around my shoulders, pulling me in to mess up my hair with his free hand. “So impaaaaaatient! I tooooold you there’s still work to be done!”

“You’re one to talk about being impatient,” I grumble. “You’re the one who tried to steal the Harpe–urrk!” Nemo pulls me in tighter, forcing the air out of me.

“What’s that, loooove? I can’t hear you~!”

I angrily sputter, but the two of us stop when Barbicane stands up and walks down the pier and towards the beach. He looks back towards us with a crooked, fanged grin.

“Don’t wait up for me! I just gotta go have a thinking session, okay?” he waves at us as he walks away, though I can’t help but think it’s a little halfhearted.

“Barbicane’s been working really hard on this, hasn’t he?” I ask. “Did I mess up by inviting him out of the blue?”

“Mmm….” Nemo tilts his head. “He would have had to face this reality eventually, but it’s still hard to see him like this.”

I stare at Barbicane walking in the distance along the same ocean that I had cried my feelings to before.

“Maybe we can blackmail Aleister for the funds,” I murmur.

Nemo looks at me before bursting into loud laughter that echoes across Lincoln Island.


	24. The Old Man in the Moon

“My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea…”

Impey’s eyes are on the moon, timing his song with his footsteps in the sand. Finally, he reaches a picture-perfect view of the moon and stops, turning to look up at it.

The moon is so big in the sky that it looks like it could dip right into the sea.

“… Never gonna get tired of this view. Feels like I could just–” humoring himself, Impey reaches out towards the moon, squeezing one of his eyes shut so it looks like his fingers are encircling it.

“Hey, old man…” Impey trails off. “What do you think of the situation I’ve gotten myself in?”

He puts his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “I mean, the obvious thing to do would be to hitch a ride back to London and get back to work on our project. I could make plenty of progress, and then when Nemo gets back I could get his opinions, right?”

He kicks his feet in the sand, watching it arc up and plop into the surf.

“That Victoria really screwed everyone up! I can’t just… sit there and take her money while she’s hunting down my friend. That doesn’t sound like me at all! That would be really, really rotten!”

Impey rubs the back of his head, grimacing.

“But, what then? I can’t make much progress without funds. It was sweet of Polly-chan to offer, but she’s in the same situation as the rest of us. She left her job, right? I can’t let her blow her savings on me, not when I know she and Nemo will come up with some big crazy love project sooner or later.”

He straightens up and sighs. “And oh, oh boy, Nemo… there’s no way I could talk to him about this, he’d be all like ‘Impey Barbicaaane! In the pursuit of glorious science, the fate of one man is insignificant or… something… bla bla bla bla…”

The genius scientist in question clucks his tongue. “Hmmm~ no… no no no, noooot quite! You have to say it with more paaaaassion! Now, shall we try it again? IMPEEEEYYYYY~ BARBICAAAAAANE~!!”

“H-How long have you been lurking back there?! If you keep on yelling like that, even the moon’ll hear you!”

Nemo walks up beside Impey, a grin on his face. “Theeeen, maybe you should give it a try? If you want the moon to hear you… then cry out with all your soooooooooul!”

“Yeah, going to give that one a hard pass,” says Impey.

Surprisingly, the two men are able to relish the quiet, watching the water roll in and out under the moon’s draw.

“Impey Barbicane…” of course, Nemo is the one to end the silence. “You told me that it took your mentor decades to build the gravity alleviator. Don’t you think you’ve spent enough time here? Go back to London.”

“First you did this with Polly-chan, and now me, huh?”

Nemo looks over at Impey, a confused expression on his face.

“You just keep on trying to push us away, Nemo. Well, I’m not going to let you, so you’d better quit it.”

“…What’s going on in that moon-bound brain of yours…?” 

Impey laughs at Nemo’s question, but then he goes quiet to stare out over the sea, and the goal that keeps on getting farther and farther away from him.

“When I get back to London, I’m cutting ties with Victoria,” he says. “And don’t you dare say any crap about how I don’t have to do it because of you or whatever– I do have to do it because of you.”

“Impey Barbicaaaane… what happened back then–”

“I’m talking about right now! With this warrant crap! I’m not going to stand by and let my best friend–”

Impey only stops when Nemo lets out a high-pitched squeak.

“Uhhh… you okay?”

Nemo has his hand over his mouth as tears well up behind his goggles. He nods once, then again with so much force that it looks almost like a bow.

“Best… best frieeeeeeend…!” he sniffs loudly.

“Aw, jeez, Nemo…” Impey shakes his head. “Don’t get all soggy on me!”

Nemo’s voice hitches as he inhales, “I– Impeeeeeyyy!”

“Woah!”

Impey can barely brace himself as Nemo clasps him in a tight hug.

“All right, all right, I love you too, come on…” Impey pats Nemo on the back.

“If thaaaaat’s the case, then you simply muuuuust go on our voyage!” Nemo takes a step back, gesturing grandly.

“Look, I get that you want me to go, but–”

“Just liiiiiiiiiiisten!” Nemo shushes Impey. “You don’t have a bounty on your head, soooo… I need you to be there to tell the world our discoveries.”

“Wait, what? Come on, have a little faith in our friends! They’ll be able to fix this up, I know it.”

Nemo shakes his head. “Always the optimist, areeeeen’t you… well, say that they dooooon’t. It’s always good to have a back-up plan, right?”

Impey looks away, not wanting to consider it.

“Going to London right now would be a baaaaad idea for me, but you! Fwahahahahaaa–! Yes, you would certainly be able to share our research! And when you do that, why… a transcontinental journey like this will get international attention, and then you’ll be back in business with patrons from the wooooorld over!”

“L-Look, it sounds great and all, but what about that Aleister guy? Won’t he be ticked if I go spouting off about this?”

“Oh, pleeeeease,” Nemo waves his hand. “His condition was for his own anonymity! He’d be a fool if he thought that I could keep quiet about this magnificence~!”

Nemo then looks away with a grimace. “I’m not inclined to pay attention to what he wants right now, anyway. It’s quite a large bump in our friendship, Aleeeeeeeeister~! If he thinks I’ll obey him like a caged animal, he’s wroooooooooooong!”

Impey stares at him. Even after all that Aleister did to him, Nemo still wants to call him a friend… Impey can’t help but think that it’s a little bittersweet.

But at least now Nemo has people who will really support him.

“Well…” Impey looks back up at the moon. “I guess after all that I have just one thing to say to you.”

Nemo tilts his head with a “hrrmph?”

“It’ll be pretty interesting watching the moon from below the water, won’t it?.”

—–

Cardia and I are looking over the results from one of Nemo’s rifle tests. It’s quiet without the boys around, but there’s plenty to keep us occupied.

“It’s incredible!” I look upon the rifle in admiration. “Have you seen the bullets, Cardia? Steel-coated glass packed with electricity! I hope we never have to use them on the sublime creatures of the deep, but I feel safe knowing we’ll have them. Oh, Cardia, think of it! Walking on the bottom of the sea as though you’re strolling through a park! Fish flitting about like birds! Magnificent!”

Cardia is looking at me more than the rifle, an amused smile on her face. “It does sound pretty amazing.”

I look over at her, my cheeks reddening when I realize that I was rambling. “Sorry, I guess I got a little excited.”

“No, don’t apologize,” says Cardia. “Your dream’s about to come true, isn’t it? Actually, I was just thinking… when you’re excited like this, you remind me a bit of Impey and Nemo… it’s like your heart is so full that you can’t help but talk about it, or you’ll burst Right?”

“That’s such a cute way of describing it,” I say, holding a hand to my chest. “Yes… that is how it feels. Like you just want to shout to the whole world how incredible it all is.”

“That’s just how I see it…” Cardia continues, looking out one of the windows. “I think, when you’re in love with someone, you begin to grow fond of things that others might think are strange or even annoying.”

My face grows redder as I look down at Nemo’s documents. On the surface she’s clearly referring to my infatuation with a man that the word “eccentric” can only barely begin to describe, but I can’t help but think there’s something deeper. A feeling burning in her man-made heart.

“Yes, I think you’re right about that, Cardia. But, tell me…” I turn my head to look at her. “You’re thinking about Impey when you say things like that, aren’t you?”

Cardia closes her eyes as though she’s deep in thought. After a moment of contemplation, she nods. “Yes, I am.”

Well, that was surprisingly quick. I guess she’s come to terms with it already. Now, if only Barbicane was on the same page!

“I wish you all the luck in the world, Cardia,” I say.

She nods, beaming at me. “Same here! I really, really hope you’ll be happy, too!”

She’s so precious, but my admiration for Cardia is cut off when the warehouse doors fly open and the object of my affections comes swaggering into the room with his arms outstretched.

“Deaaaaaaaaaaar ladies!” Nemo’s voice booms through the room. “It is a greaaaaaaaaaaat pleasure to announce that Impeeeeeeey Barbicane will be joining us on the Harper~!”

“You convinced him?!” I leap to my feet, excitement flying through my limbs like electrcity. “Oh, Nemo, you absolute wonder!” I throw myself into his arms with such force that he has to take a step back to brace himself , though he’s giggling all the while. I can’t even help it as my foot pops back girlishly!

It feels so good when he wraps his arms around me, and I let out a surprised shriek when he pulls me up and twirls us around.

We both open our mouths to ask each other questions, to chatter excitedly about our plans, but our words melt as our lips connect in the best way we can express our joy.

And yet, it doesn’t feel close enough. Our arms are entwined around each other, our bodies pressed together, and yet I find myself craving so much more.

“Um…”

I can barely contain myself, my fingers fumbling as they reach around Nemo’s collar and under his jacket, seeking the warmth of his skin.

“So, are we concluding our work today, or…”

Ah, that voice. That’s…

“Cardia!”

I quickly push Nemo back (”Urk!!”) and look at Cardia with wide eyes. “Cardia, I’m so sorry, that was terribly rude of me, you shouldn’t have had to see that! It was entirely unprofessional of me!”

I pause long enough in my apology to breathe.

Cardia just shakes her head, and I distract myself by looking over the results again, though my heart is still pounding.

“Y-Yes… the rifles can be brought on-board now… the diving suits are all green, too. With Barbicane on board now he might want to change the provisions, but other than that, we’re right on schedule.”

I fan myself with one of the notepads, trying to clear my head.

“If that’s the case, then I think I’ll try to find Impey,” says Cardia. “Um… you two have a good night, then.”

“Nooooooooot so fast!” Nemo holds a hand up. “I have some business with you, Impey Barbicane’s Cute Assistaaaaaant~!”

Cardia looks nervously over at me and I shrug, unsure of what he means.

“Oh, don’t look so scaaaared~” Nemo’s goggles glint. “After all, what I’m offering you is a place on my chariot soaring through liquid space! Yeeeeeees, the daughter of Isaac Beckford! Certainly, certainly it would only be fitting to invite you on this glooooorious journey!”

“… Huh?”

Cardia looks honestly baffled, like it hadn’t even occurred to her that she might be joining us on this trip.

“Me? You want to invite me to go on the Harper’s maiden voyage?”

She looks at me again, this time looking for validation.

I clear my throat. “It might be a little too bold of me to say this… but, besides Nemo, I can’t think of anyone I would rather go on this voyage with.”

For some reason, Cardia’s cheeks redden as she looks at the floor.

“It sounds like a grand adventure,” she finally says. “I want to go with you.. and Impey… but… I want to talk to my brother first, and everyone back in London.”

Nemo grimaces. “It’s hiiiiiiiiiighly doubtful that the transmitter I gave Aouda will still be in range…”

“Maybe not that transmitter,” I say. “But Smith has been keeping in contact with Aleister somehow. I’d be surprised if our resident genius engineer couldn’t fiddle with her tech.”

“Oh~? Planning to sabotage Aleister’s aether communications? Myyyy, aren’t you daring…” Nemo grins at me and lightly fans himself.

“It’s not that,” I say, crossing my arms. “I just refuse to let anything stand between me and this voyage. Besides, I think it’s time that Smith knew what kind of man ‘Professor’ Aleister really is.”

Cardia smiles at me. “Pauline, Nemo… thank you both for thinking of me. I really want to join all of you. I think it’d be fun to go someplace no one else has ever been!”

“Mmm~ it’s so nice to finally be surrounded by people who understand the gravity of my work~!” Nemo grins and pats Cardia on the head, ruffling her hair.

Cardia’s smile vanishes. “Please don’t…”

Nemo immediately removes his hand, the grin on his face twitching.


	25. Interlude (Explicit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, the following chapter contains explicit sexual content between Nemo and Aronnax. It is not necessary to the plot, so feel free to skip if the subject matter makes you uncomfortable.

The shower feels incredible.

It wasn’t a particularly strenuous day, but it was a long one. Even though the submarine is completed, there is still loads of work to be completed before we can depart.

The past couple of hours have been fairly simple, just fitting ourselves into dive suits. Unfortunately, I was conducting experiments when the underwater testing was done, but the boys were chatting excitedly about it for the rest of the day.

Nemo looked so handsome in his suit. I held my breath when he took off his brass helmet, trying my best not to notice the bead of sweat trickling tantalizingly down his neck.

I lean against the stall wall, letting my mind go blank as the water pounds into my back.

He’s been driving me crazy in the best way. On nights when I’m not completely exhausted from work, his vision fills my mind until I have to grant myself selfish release.

… That started becoming a habit of mine back in Saint’s mansion. The thought of Nemo makes my body awaken lasciviously.

If only the showers were private, I might be able to risk satisfying myself here. But they aren’t, so what’s the use of fantasizing?

I turn off the shower and begin to towel myself dry.

It’s really quite pathetic, how hot my body feels just from remembering him.

I quickly pull on my robes and begin the short walk back to my room. The sooner I get back, the sooner I can distract myself with the Harper’s supply lists, the sooner I can fall asleep.

But when I open the door to my room, I see that those same lists are already being examined by the very person I was trying to distract myself from.

This isn’t the first time he’s appeared in my room, of course. I don’t lock the door so he’s always able to access it. Truth be told, I think he prefers my room to his.

…I can’t say I blame him, either. To say that his room is sparse would be an understatement. No scientific mess, no paintings, no gadgets, even the map of Lincoln Island hanging on every wall had been taken down. It is completely blank save for a brass bed and white bedsheets. It’s like all of his passions exist in laboratories or mechanical beasts, and when he gets to his ‘own’ space, not shared by science… it’s empty. Completely empty.

It’s depressing to think about it, and the stark difference between the man and the room is emphasized when Nemo lopes over to me with a wide smile.

“I’m glad you’re here~! I was hoping to get your opinion on Impey Barbicaaaaaaaane’s proposed changes. I personally think it’s a bit much, especially since we’ll likely only be sailing for a week each way. But Caaaaaaaaardia-chan agrees with his changes, which made him even moooore enthusiastic, which made him even leeeeeess likely to listen to reason! Love makes fools of the greatest minds!”

Well, it’s a distraction, anyway.

I smile. “To be honest, thinking of supplies and weaponry and all this realistic stuff has been rather far from my mind, I’m afraid. I’m still trying to convince myself that it’s real. Seeing this amazing creation coming to life in front of me… sometimes it feels like it’s all a fantasy.”

I look away, suddenly feeling sheepish. “I guess it’s different for you, Nemo. I mean, you’ve been creating all these incredible things and mm—”

Nemo’s kissing me. Slowly, deeply, holding my face in his hands so I couldn’t pull away.

Eventually I have to push back on his chest so I can breathe. The smile on his face is so eager and bright, it’s amazing what such a small compliment can do to this man.

He takes my hand and lays his cheek on it adoringly.

“Oh, Profeeeeessor! I will show you that it’s real! I can plant such memories on your body, so your mind is forced to remember that it’s aaaaaaaall real!” he says. “If you juuuuust…” He moves his mouth to my ear and whispers. “Let meeeeee…”

I tilt my head so he can reach more of my skin. He responds, gently kissing my earlobe and down my jaw until he reaches my neck.

I shiver as I feel him smile against the bruise he inflicted on me before. Then, there’s a warm sensation as he begins to trace his tongue along the yellowing pattern.

“…Let me….” He repeats.

I let out a ragged breath and nod.

He giggles and grips my hair, turning my head so I have to look at him.

“Thaaaaat’s not good enough! No, I want you to say it… I want there to be no question… say that you want me! Say it so that anyone could understand! The whole world!”

He had sounded so in control before, but now he was begging. He was telling me ‘I want to feel needed’.

“Nemo… I want to… how can I say this…”

It’s hard for me to concentrate, especially as I hear him take off his gloves.

“I want us to be… connected. More than just our minds, more than just our… our love of science, I want…”

I barely had to mention science before Nemo’s smile widened into a grin, his goggles glinting in such a way that my entire body screamed ‘DANGER’.

It also screamed, ‘Don’t’ stop’.

“Thaaaaaat’s where you’re wrong, my daaaarling! It IS science! Everything that we will discover tonight is a testament to the power that science holds over all of us! Fwee hee hee hee… oh, there are so many things I will teach you, Professor…”

He puts a hand on his hip and leans over, adjusting his goggles so he can get a closer look at my expression.

“Now, then…” the corners of his lips curl. “What were you saaaaaying~?”

He’s so close to me, I can’t resist. I tilt my head and give his smile a quick kiss. “I want to sleep with you, Nemo. In all the different ways. I want… our bodies to be one… I want all of you inside of me…”

I trail off, my eyes widening when I remember something.

“I don’t want you to stop,” I continue. “Not for anything, but… but I don’t have any way to…”

Nemo produces a small bottle with a flourish and a giggle.

“Cyyyyyyyrene Smith is quite the chemist! She developed so that her workers can consummate their desires without worry of any unfooooortunate interruptions! It’s truly a triumph of science over our base animal instincts! So, dear Professor, shall we indulge~?”

He pops a round, cherry-red pill in his mouth before gripping my chin and pushing his mouth against mine. I quickly yield, enough for him to easily push the pill into my mouth with his tongue. I close my eyes and swallow before wrapping my arms around his neck, not ready to break the kiss yet. He hums in satisfaction, letting the tips of our tongues play against each other.

This time, he’s the one who pops his foot. I giggle, and he pulls away and rubs his nose against mine.

He quickly takes off his jacket and drapes it over one of the chairs, but before he can walk to the bed I stop him.

“What I said wasn’t good enough.”

I loop my arm around his waist and lead him back to me, pushing my body against him.

“You told me to say it so that the whole world could understand. The whole world wouldn’t understand my words.”

His expression is so cute, his lips are drooping in confusion but his eyebrows are arced with such curiosity.

I pull him to my height and quickly undo his choker, tossing it onto my desk.

I seek out his eyes behind his goggles and brush his hair away from his neck as I whisper, “Let me leave my mark on you.”

I pull down the collar of his sweater. His skin is so beautiful, soft and warm. I lean in and place my lips against his neck, gently roaming over the muscles until I feel his pulse radiating from his carotid artery. It feels good against my lips, and I open them slightly to taste his skin.

The reaction is immediate, Nemo wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me in deeper. When I begin to suck on his skin, he lets out a high-pitched sigh that could only be described as ‘wanton’. Encouraged, I bury my face in his neck, trying to the motions that caused my neck to bruise so beautifully.

But he can clearly still feel the hesitation in my movement, because he wraps one of his hands around the back of my head and whispers, “Deeper… please……”

I nod before biting down, and the needy moan that reaches my ears is all the reward I need.

Though, when I pull away and look at the rosy marks I’ve left on his neck, I can’t help but feel a little proud. It’s much lighter than the bruise he left on me, that goes without saying, but…

“Now everyone in the world can see,” I whisper. “Just how badly I want this genius scientist.”

I can feel how hard Nemo is breathing. When he pushes himself against me again, I can feel another source of hardness, too. It makes my body ache.

“Just from kissing…” he groans. “You’ve already made me like this…”

I take him by the shoulders and lead him back to the bed, laying him down. Before I think about what I’m doing, I swing one of my legs over him and sit on his stomach.

He smirks and lifts his knees up, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure -that‘s- where you want to sit, my cuuuute Professor~?”

I grin as I begin to fiddle with the leather strap on his chest. “If I sat any lower, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself… and I want to savor every moment of this.”

“How cute…” Nemo grins as he begins to unwrap the bandages from his arms. “But don’t woooorry, I won’t let you run away after this first time. Oh, no, there’s too much we have to discover… we’ll have to examine each other thousands of times before we’re satisfied~!”

He sits up to pull the leather off of his shoulder, pausing long enough to give me a kiss on the cheek.

“How did you end up on top, anyway~?”

I yelp as he rolls us over, pinning me beneath him. His hair tickles my neck as he leans down and begins to undo my robe.

“H-Hey!” I exclaim. “That’s not fair!”

I reach over him and begin to pull his sweater over his head, but he won’t cooperate so all I can do is reach under the fabric to feel his thin shoulders and back.

He kisses down my collarbone, and I feel my entire body flush when he kisses the hollow between my breasts.

Then, he pushes the edges of my robe aside, leaving my body entirely visible in the electric light.

I quickly pull him to my chest out of both love and embarrassment. The closer I hold him to me, the less he can see.

It’s not that I’m ashamed of my body, and it’s not like I haven’t had lovers, either. But because it’s him… I feel like he can look right through me. My skin feels so red under his body, blood pumping to my extremities in preparation.

I shiver when I feel the metal of his goggles against me, and he laughs as he reaches around to undo them.

When he looks up at me with those beautiful eyes of his, I look away.

“Don’t tell me now that you’re getting shy!” the volume of his guffaw makes me jump. “Don’t you think it’s a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle late for that?!”

Nemo sits back with a wide smile, looking over my body with excitement usually reserved for some great scientific discovery.

I can see his eyes darting over me, taking it all in. When I begin to cover myself, he quickly pushes my arms down back against the bed.

“Your breasts move quite beautifully when you shiver, did you know that~?” his voice is almost at a normal volume for once, and the quietness surprises me almost as much as the sensation of his fingers trailing up my stomach. 

“A woman’s breasts… biologically they have very little to do with copulation, and yet…”

I clench my fists in the bedsheets when he leans down and takes one of my nipples in his mouth, teasing it with his teeth.

“And yet even I, a man of science, can’t help but be entraaaaanced!” he locks his mouth over my breast and begins to suck, and I can only squirm under his weight. He’s pulling at my skin, enough to make me squirm, but the rough sensation is more pleasurable than anything!

He pulls back to take a shuddering breath, threads of saliva still connecting my nipple to his mouth.

“You’re responding excellently to stimulation,” he pauses to wipe his mouth, admiring how his kiss made my skin shine with wetness. “But you’re still so nervous, aren’t you? You poor thiiiing… the chemicals in your brain are sending so many signals to your body. I can’t take advantage of your lust-riddled mind like this! Please, allow me to treat you with a scientist-assisted hysterical paroxysm before we continue~.”

Hysterical paroxysm. An orgasm. Though “female hysteria” was losing credibility in the medical field, I could tell from Nemo’s expression that he wasn’t above playing with the term.

“But, Nemo, if I finish…”

“Shhh~” he winks as he puts a finger to my mouth. “One of the greatest blessings that the vagina has over the penis is its ability to withstand multiple assaults without rest~! Please, allow me to take advantage of your body’s natural abilities. Your flesh will swell with release, and your nervous brain will be soothed… making it easier for both your body and mind to…”

He pauses to grin, his teeth shining. “… Accept me.”

He takes one of my hands and brings it to the front of his pants. I look down with a curious smile as my hand seeks out the heat of his crotch. I narrow my eyes blissfully when I wrap my hand around his shaft, feeling it harden further in my grasp. But… something feels different from past lovers. I feel a different sort of hardness there, too.

I quickly pull my hand back when my mind makes the connection—metal! Likely the same kind of metal that decorates his face!

I look up at him, dumbfounded, and he bursts into laughter, rolling onto his back with delighted tears in his eyes.

“N-Nemo… are you…”

He stares at me, waiting for me to finish the question.

“Pierced….?”

“Yes.”

His answer was so simple, I can feel myself staring at him quite stupidly.

He rolls onto his side and props himself up, motioning me to come closer. When I do, he wraps his arms around me and kisses me sweetly.

“So how abooooout it?” he whispers. “Let me satisfy you, Professor. So that it will feel even better when we’re finally united~!”

He lowers his head and kisses my shoulder. “Besides, there’s so much more of you I want to discover… so let me have a taste…”

His eyes dart down to my crotch, and I instinctively squeeze my legs shut out of nervousness.

But… that nervousness is what he wanted to remove, right?

I nod.

“All right… but… I want to see you, first.” I pout. “Nemo, it’s… not fair that you’ve been able to examine me so closely…”

Nemo’s smile is lopsided as he sits up. “That’s true.” He begins to pull his sweater over his head, and I quickly climb into his lap, leaning down to kiss his abdomen as it’s exposed.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long…” I whisper as I continue to kiss up his torso, pausing to feel his stomach move with each deep breath. Then, as he finally pulls the sweater over his head and tosses it aside, I run my tongue from one nipple to the other before mimicking his cruel sucking.

He laughs and tilts his head, brushing my hair away from my face so he can watch me.

His skin feels so soft and fragrant, you would never guess it from the busy schedule he keeps but he clearly puts a lot of effort into beauty. The lavender oil on his skin intoxicates me in ways I never thought it would.

I curse into his skin as I fumble with his belt buckle. When he laughs I look up at him and mutter, “Are you going to help me, or are you getting off on watching me?!”

He gives me a wink. “Aren’t the best discoveries made after a bit of struuuuuggle~?” But he finally helps me in undoing his belt. Without warning, he quickly shoves down his pants, kicking them and his boots off the side of the bed in one fluid motion.

When he leans back, I dare to look down.

“O-Oh…”

I’m not sure whether it’s the penis itself or the glinting metal that catches my attention first.

Even though it’s not fully erect, his foreskin has pulled back to show its head, dark and red from engorgement. I look up at him to get permission, and he just looks at me with a proud smile.

I reach out and gently put my fingertips to it, lifting it up so I can get a better look at his piercings.

There are three golden barbells on the underside of his shaft, styled in such a way that they look like the rungs of a ladder. Then, his foreskin is pierced with a lovely ring, and the thought of it rubbing against my insides makes my labia throb.

I begin to pet it without really realizing what I’m doing and soon it begins throbbing against my palm.

“I want a taste, too,” I say as I lean down to get a closer look.

“Not faaaaair…” Nemo whines. “I wanted to do it first~!”

But he doesn’t stop me as I gingerly cup his scrotum, relishing its weight against my palm. With my free hand I begin to stroke the upper side of his shaft, the one free of piercings. Honestly, I’m a little too nervous about hurting him to give him a proper handjob, but I make up for it by bringing my lips to his frenulum and giving him a soft kiss.

It’s so hot, I can’t stop myself from continuing my curious kisses, smiling as I feel his foreskin retract more and his penis stiffen to full attention.

“Sensitive, aren’t you?” I coo as I begin to drag my mouth down the underside, kissing him down his ‘ladder’ and gently beginning to suck on the base.

His only response is a needy moan.

I slowly run my tongue from base to tip, stopping only to flick my tongue against his ring. I carefully take the piercing in my mouth and hum, and the vibrations make Nemo arch his back.

“G-Gently…” he stammers, and I pull back. A bead of clear pre-seminal fluid has begun to dribble from his urethra, and I quickly begin to kiss it away. I lick the saltiness from my lips before kissing the tip.

“May I?” I dart my tongue out against his urethra, finally brave enough to lock eyes with him.

This time, he’s the one who looks away.

“I’d love nothing more than that…” he pauses to suck in a breath. “B-But… I don’t know how long I’d last… the thought of filling your warm mouth would be a temptation I just couldn’t ignore….”

I feel like I’m in a daze as I slowly slide the head of his penis into my mouth. The heat is incredible, and I let out a disappointed moan as Nemo pulls my head back.

My brain is so foggy, all I can do is hungrily watch him throb.

“You… don’t get… to finish me… thaaaaaaaaaaat easily….!!” His smile is crazed, and I shiver as he leans in and licks my lips, tasting himself on me. Then he kisses me, laying me down on the pillow in a gentle motion that doesn’t match the expression on his face.

He kisses my knuckles, my fingertips, my palms, and then makes sure that I’m watching him as he lowers himself to nibble on my stomach, making me twitch with each light pinch of his metal teeth. Then, with a final bite he spreads my legs and hoists them up so my knees are in the air.

I cover my eyes with my arm, not wanting to look.

“What’s wroooong?” Nemo quickly jumps back up and pushes my arm away, looking at me with a worried expression. He’s so cute that I have to reach up and touch his cheek to reassure him. He leans into it adoringly, still looking at me for my answer.

“N-Nothing, I just…” I laugh. “It … it feels like I’m being examined…”

His worried expression disappears, and he joins me in my laughter.

“You are, darling, you are! But don’t worry… I won’t experiment on you without telling you ex-act-ly what I plan to do first,” his lecherous grin returns as he speaks. He lowers himself back down between my legs, and my body spasms when he runs his knuckles against my vulva.

“You’re already so engorged…” he giggles, but then his voice lowers. “Did touching me turn you on that much~?”

I decide to throw the embarrassment right back at him: “Yes, it did.”

His eyes widen and his cheeks redden, but he clears his throat before leaning back down between my legs. He spreads my labia with his thumbs, playing with the puffy skin and lightly blowing on it.

“What—what do you even plan on doing?” I ask, shivering at the sensation of his hot breath.

He looks up at me, though all I can see are his arched eyebrows.

“I toooold you, I want a taste… and don’t you dare try to stop me! You need assistance with a hysterical paroxysm.”

He lifts himself back up to kiss my pelvis before sticking his tongue out playfully.

“You’re beautiful.”

Two simple words. Words that I hadn’t heard anyone say to me in years.

They affect me so much, and the only thing I can think of in response is: “So are you.”

He just smiles happily at me before kissing down the outside of my labia, soft and chaste compared to what I expected. Somehow, these teasing touches drive me crazy, and I arch my hips in hopes that he’ll get the message.

He does get the message, but instead of doing what I ask, he moves his head to the side and begins sucking on my inner thigh.

“Maybe I should leave my marks down here, too… where no one else can see…”

I suck in my breath when takes one of my outer lips into his mouth and tugs on it, lightly grinding on the skin until I wince. He lets the flesh go with a ‘pop’ before licking over the bruise that’s surely begun forming.

Then he pulls my labia apart again and finally begins to roam over the flesh it protects with the tip of his tongue.

“Slightly bitter…” he muses, almost to himself. “But so warm and soft…”

“You don’t have to say things like that!” I sit up to glare at him, but he just buries his face in-between my legs and laughs. When I feel him begin to lick along my inner labia, I slowly sink back into the pillow.

He’s clearly done this before. He’s hitting so many amazing spots, licking from my perineum up to just below my clitoris. He always hesitates, teasing me, breathing on that most sensitive part on my body before ducking back down.

“Ne… Nemo, please…”

“Hmmm~?” his voice is lilting. “Getting a little impatient, are you? Don’t you knoooooow how much better something feels if you have to wait for it…?”

I lean my head back and groan when I feel him rub the pads of his index and middle finger on either side of my clitoris, not close enough to touch it, but close enough to stimulate the surrounding nerves.

“Hmm, this has potential, though…”

“Nemo, what are you--?”

He shushes me before gently running his fingers over my clitoral hood.

“Oohhhhhh--! Yes, the skin here is perfect~!”

I’m not quite sure I understand why he has a sudden fascination with my clitoral hood (especially since my clitoris is throbbing for his attention). Still, it isn’t an unpleasant sensation when he tugs at the skin.

“Hmmm~ yes, yeeeees indeed! Perhaaaaaaps after this voyage, I’ll be able to give you a permanent mark here…! Yes, a pretty piece of jewelry, for my eyes ooooonly…”

My eyes snap open in realization.

“I really… I really don’t think I’ll be ready for anything like that…” I stammer.

Nemo pouts. “Hmm~ a shame, really… but I suppose such a reaction is expected from my Polly-chan… oh, well…”

He licks his thumb and finally runs it over the tip of my clitoris. I push my hips up, letting out a pleased sigh as he begins to teasingly rub it between his wet fingers.

I’m not sure how much longer I can stop myself, especially when he pushes his thumb against my perineum. The nerves there are connected to the clitoris, and I can practically feel it swell as he finally, finally begins to slowly lick it.

“Don’t stop, Nemo…” I begin to slowly move my hips in time with his licks, and he responds by taking my clitoris in his mouth and sucking on it.

I prop myself up on my elbows, lust clouding my mind enough to allow myself to burst through my shame in order to watch him pleasure me.

He notices this and looks up at me, inhaling my scent deeply with a wide smile. Then, he props himself up and comes closer to me.

“Wait, I haven’t finished…”

“Oh, I know~” Nemo grins and tilts my chin back before bringing his fingers to my lips. I lock eyes with him before taking his index finger in my mouth, wrapping my lips tight around it and taking it all the way down to the base.

“That’s it…” he says. “Make sure you get it nice and wet for me, hmm~?”

I get an idea about what he’s trying to do, so I do the same thing to his middle finger, taking it in deep. He smiles and ruffles my hair with his free hand before moving back down between my legs.

“It’s fun to sometimes get the specimen to help, you seeeeee?” he giggles before rubbing those wet fingers against my vaginal entrance.

“Now, let’s see how this feels…” he puts his lips over my clitoris again before sliding his two fingers inside me.

“Oh my god…” I groan.

“Fwee hee hee… you can call me that if you waaaaaaaant, but it won’t make me go any easier on you~!” He gives me a quick lick before going back to sucking on the most sensitive part of my body.

Nemo’s inside of me. That same hand that built the Nautilus, that brought London to its knees is now flexing its fingers, curling them and rubbing at sensitive nerves, spreading them apart to see just how wide I can open for him.

It’s a little embarrassing how quickly I’m reaching the edge, but I keep on watching. I can see how slick his fingers and face are from the lubricants my body is producing, eager to welcome him inside.

He pulls his fingers out to admire how wet they are, and I cry out in agitation.

He looks a little surprised at how forceful I sound, but he laughs at how pitiful he’s made me before giving me the attention I’m craving.

My breathing is becoming more labored, and my body begins to spasm in anticipation. Finally, he slides a third finger inside of me and uses his other hand to apply pressure to my perineum and anus. The full coverage of his affections, from my clitoris all the way down, is what makes my orgasm so powerful that the edges of my vision go white.

I grit my teeth and seize, my body going through wave after wave of amazing delirium. I can hear how sloppy I’ve become, his fingers still sliding in and out with ease as I finish.

I don’t know how long it is before I finally collapse back on the pillow, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Nemo sits up and rubs his jaw, murmuring, “That was… faster than I expected…”

“It’s been awhile since I’ve been with a man,” I admit. “Maybe I was just more sensitive… but, the more likely answer is that it’s because it was you, Nemo.”

“If you keep on saying cute things like that, you’ll make me bluuuuuuuuush~!”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he had been blushing all night.

“But, Polly-chaaaaaan… do you think you’re ready?”

I look down at his erection, still standing tall and twitching in anticipation. Even though I already orgasmed, I can feel myself beginning to salivate at the sight of it.

I spread my legs again and hold my arms out for him as an invitation.

He leans down and kisses one of my offered hands before pulling my hips towards him and positioning himself. With a wicked smirk he rubs the tip of his penis against my sensitive clitoris, and my legs begin to spasm again.

“Couldn’t resiiiiist!” he lilts. “You’ll forgive me, won’t you~?” He nudges his head against my vaginal entrance and sucks in his breath.

We’re holding each other’s gazes as he enters me.

Every nerve lining the walls of my insides scream in delight as his penis slides inside with ease. So this incredible sensation is why he wanted me to orgasm first--!

I can feel his piercings, too, it’s fantastic. I can only imagine how wonderful it would feel if he were taking me from behind, the metal rubbing against the more sensitive of my vaginal walls.

But as he lays down on top of me, all I can think about is how perfect it is for his body to be on mine. I wrap my legs around him as he settles into position.

“Stay… stay still for just a moment…” I breathe.

He tilts his head. “Does it hurt?”

I shake my head. “I want… I just want to focus on the feeling of us together like this, connected.”

He leans down and licks away a tear I didn’t even realize I had shed.

It’s so hot inside of me. I can feel my vagina squeezing down on him, eager to accept his lovemaking. But for just a moment longer, I want to savor of him deep inside of me.

He brings his lips back to mine and kisses me gently, our mouths barely touching.

Finally, I bury my head in his neck and nod. “N-Now…”

I can practically see stars when he gives me his first thrust.

It’s not just our genitals, our entire bodies are grinding against each other as we begin this ritual that is the basis of my entire line of study.

Nemo props himself up on his elbows so he can thrust in deeper, and I lift my hips so my entire vulva can be stimulated by his skin and scrotum. My body is shaking, already exhausted and overloaded from my first orgasm of the night.

But he’s relentless, just like I want him to be. I can feel his tip nudging my cervix with each thrust—it’s a strange sensation, but both the pressure and the knowledge that it’s because he’s so deep inside of me is an incredible turn-on.

“P-Pauline…!”

He’s begun panting, his voice hitching in his throat and escaping in needy moans and gasps.

He pulls my hips up so he’s in as deep as he can be, grinding exquisitely against me. When he gives another thrust, my second orgasm makes me convulse with such ferocity that I’m clinging to Nemo with all of my strength.

“Alreaaaaady?” he smiles down at me. “Poor little professor, I’ve just begun…!”

He slides out and turns me over before hugging me, both of us on our sides. He clamps his mouth down over my throat before lifting my leg up and penetrating me from behind.

I knew the pressure of his piercings rubbing against me would be amazing, but this is too much! I moan so loudly that I clap my hand over my mouth to stop the sound from escaping.

Nemo, as expected, won’t have any of that. He yanks my hand away from my mouth and kisses my wrist, still thrusting deep inside.

“Let—them—heaaaar!!”

I cry out his name, but the sound is drowned out by his mad cackling.

He’s thrusting with such force that his scrotum is slapping my vulva, sending shockwaves of my own madness through me.

I try to grip at the bedsheets, but in this position it’s easier for me to grip his arm, and I dig my nails into his skin in an attempt to hold on to my mind. I can feel his penis harden even more, signaling to me just how close he is.

He buries his head in my shoulder and moans deeply as the first wave of his orgasm hits him. His penis pulses inside of me, and this sensation coupled with the intimate warmth of his semen is what gives me my third orgasm of the night.

Nemo is clinging tightly to me, his body trembling from the force of his orgasm.

My heart is pounding as the waves finally die down, and both of us lay there in blissful silence.

My body is heavy, I can hardly move.

“Was that…” Nemo finally groans. “Was thaaaaaaat a third time…?”

I’m too weak to even answer, so I just nod despite my embarrassment.

He laughs, his voice finally beginning to grow hoarse from exhaustion.

We lay there in silence before I finally mutter: “I can’t move… I think I would fall if I tried to stand up…”

Nemo kisses me on the shoulder before slowly pulling out and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, standing up to turn out the light.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” I sleepily roll over to look at him, and yelp when he uses what little energy he has remaining to drape himself on top of me.

“No…” he smiles. “I’m staying here for as long as I can… my cute… cute professor… all mine… just… mine…”

His voice begins to slow, and it isn’t long before he begins to snore deeply.

I whisper an apology to Cardia in the room next door before I close my eyes and let sleep take over my exhausted body.


	26. Aether Transmission

The next morning, Nemo and I decide that it would be a good time to get Impey to try and alter the transmitters so Cardia can speak with the party at Steel London.

I try my best not to make eye contact with her… though I’m stabbed by guilt when I notice the deep bags under her eyes.

When we find Smith, she doesn’t even need an explanation. She proudly escorts us to the transmitter room to show off the technology that they use to keep in contact with Steel London.

“Ohh, this baby will be fun to work with!” Barbicane rolls up his sleeve. “Nemo, hit me with the transmitter paired with Aouda-chan’s.”

I begin to follow Cardia over to watch him work when Smith touches my arm. The look on her face is conflicted, like she’s having trouble forming the words she feels she needs to say.

“Look, I don’t know the details about Professor Aleister did to you, but… I’m sorry,” her voice is quiet and vulnerable, different from her usual boisterousness. “He saved my life. I never would have thought that he’d be capable of this!”

I shake my head. “Don’t apologize.How could you have known? Smith, we would never blame you for this, so please don’t apologize.”

Smith gives me a weak smile but then slowly looks down at the floor. “I trusted him, you know? I… I looked up to him…”

Nemo claps a hand on Smith’s shoulder.

“Ohhhhh, my stuuuudent!” he takes a deep, dramatic breath. “This pain in your heart– I know it well!”

“Huh?” Smith looks up at Nemo with a confused expression.

“You feel betraaaaayed, right? Lost! Without your guiding light! It was the same for me, yes… without my precious sensei… allow me to pass on the gift that was given to me then! These! Simple! Words!”

He throws his head back and points triumphantly at Smith.

“You… are more than Aleister’s shadow! It’s your time to step out into the suuuuuuuuuuun! The child muuuuust surpass the parent, such is the way of sciiiiiiiiience!”

Nemo’s voice increases in volume as more passion is poured into his words.

“My student– you are not alone! This island that you discovered is a Holy Laaaaaaaand! Though Aleister sewed the seeds, you were the one who cultivated and tended to it! Now we all walk the same path together, all treading towards new knowledge and new ideas, a beautiful horizon indeeeeeeeeeeed!”

Smiths’s eyes widen, and she puts a hand to her chest as though she had been shot. “Nemo….”

She looks up at him with tears brimming in her eyes. “Nemo-sensei…!!!”

I quickly take a step back so I’m not in the path of teacher and pupil embracing each other. Oh, boy…

As they hug each other, both in tears, I can’t help but smile. Looks like Nemo finally gets to be ‘sensei’.

“If all you can do is regurgitate botched quotes from Aleister, then you probably shouldn’t attempt to dole out advice!”

Nemo and I whirl around to face the very familiar voice.

Barbicane stands up, grinning. “Ha ha! Got this baby working like a charm for me! Hey, Finis, how are things in Steel London?”

“It isn’t as noisy as usual, which is nice,” Finis says with a sigh. “Now, more importantly, where’s my sister?”

“I’m here,” says Cardia. “I’m glad to hear that you’re doing well, Finis.”

“Of course I’m doing well, honestly…”

A light laugh comes through the transmitter. “Don’t be like that, Finis… he was actually quite worried about you, Miss Cardia.”

“Saint!” Cardia beams at the sound of his voice.

“Criminy, you’re all so intent on wasting time with unimportant things. Don’t come complaining to me when Fogg pitches a fit.”

“Finis, don’t blame your foul mood on my wife!” this time it’s Aouda who laughs, and Nemo jumps over to the transmitter like a hyperactive grasshopper. Luckily for everyone who wanted to hold a coherent conversation, Barbicane is able to keep the transmitter away from Nemo.

“Hey, I want to talk to Cardia-chan, too!” This time it’s a voice I had never heard, a young boy’s.

“Della-chan, it’s good to hear your voice,” says Cardia. “Have you and Van been able to make a lot of progress?”

“Not as much as we would have liked… but the situation you’ve wound up in is of particular interest to me, so we came back,” another voice I don’t recognize, this one deep and cool.

“Woaaah, Van too?! San-chan, how many people have you crammed into that mansion of yours?” asks Barbicane.

“As soon as Finis arrived with Fogg and Aouda, we sent word for the rest of the group to join us,” says Saint. “For the time being Van, Della, Fran– (Saint pauses here in anticipation of Nemo’s excited shrieking)– and Lupin are all staying here. Impey, you shouldn’t need to worry about your companions for long.”

“So… so many people…” Nemo sniffs loudly. “So many people… all here to help meeeeeeeeee?”

There’s a very quiet sigh that I recognize as belonging to Dr. Frankenstein. “I’m fairly certain that most of us are here for Cardia and Impey’s sakes… o-oh, I apologize, Miss Aouda.”

The general clamor of reminiscing dies down when Finis says: “Ah, so the peacock has strut back in.”

“Oh, everyone’s all gathered together? I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long!” a charismatic voice pipes through.

Cardia straightens up, her eyes sparkling. “Lupin!”

I perk up. So, that was the voice of the famous gentleman thief.

“Cardia, it’s been too long! I hope Impey hasn’t been giving you too much trouble,” he says.

“Oy, Lupin–! You greet your partner like that after all this time–?!”

I can practically hear Lupin smiling over the transmitter.

“I’ve been having a lot of fun here,” says Cardia. “Everyone’s very nice, and we’re all working very hard. Actually, I’m very glad that everyone’s around, I wanted to say something important…”

“Hm? What is it, Cardia?” asks Della.

“I’m…” Cardia takes a deep breath, then smiles. “I’m going to be going on the voyage with Impey and the others.”

The silence on the other end of the transmitter is so astounding that Barbicane ducks down to make sure it’s still working.

Saint’s the first one to speak. “A submarine voyage… my, how romantic.”

“Perhaps, but… by ‘the others’, do you mean…”

Frankenstein’s voice is cut off by Nemo plucking the transmitter from Barbicane’s hands.

“Of cooooooooourse! Cardia-chan will be in myyyyyy custody beneath the waves, so you have no need to worry!”

There’s a beat of silence, and then everybody on the other end of the transmitter begins to protest at once.

“Sister, have you lost your mind?!” asks Finis. “There’s no way I can agree to that!”

“He’s right,” says Frankenstein. “There would be no way we could guarantee your safety, Cardia.”

“Hey, hey, I’m going to be there too!” Barbicane points to himself, even though no one can see it over the transmitter. “Don’t count me out, I’ll make sure our princess is safe!”

“It’s– It’s not that I don’t trust you, Impey…” Frankenstein continues.

“No, we definitely don’t trust him,” says the man that Barbicane called ‘Van’. “Cardia, do you remember the training I gave you?”

“Of course,” replies Cardia.

“SHE ISN’T GOING TO NEED TO USE ANY OF HER TRAINING ON ME!” Barbicane protests loudly.

Among all the clamor, one voice rises to silence the rest. One voice speaks calmly.

“A submarine with Impey and Nemo, huh…” says Lupin. “… Is the Lady of Science there? Professor Aronnax?”

I jump when I realize that he’s referring to me, of all people, with such a romantic name. ‘Lady of Science’… I could get used to that.

I shake my head to stop a self-indulgent smile from crossing my face. Now isn’t the time for daydreaming!

“Yes, I’m here,” I walk towards the transmitter, and Nemo passes it to me with a flourish and a knowing grin. “Just ‘Aronnax’ is fine. I’m not a professor anymore.”

“Oh? That’s a shame, the ‘rogue professor’ has become quite a popular character back home,” says Lupin, a laugh in his voice.

“Back home…? You mean Paris?” my eyes widen.

“Of course,” says Lupin. “The professor who left her world in pursuit of forbidden love with a mad scientist!”

“W-What…?” I feel my cheeks redden– with anger. “That’s what they’re saying about me?! That I left Paris to chase after love?! I left Paris for a love, all right, a love of BIOLOGY! If they’re going to spread stories about me, the least they could do make my focus on my research!”

“Haha, sorry, sorry! But a romantic heroine is much more sympathetic, don’t you think?”

“Huh?” I raise an eyebrow.

“A professor, exhausted after being bound by society’s expectations, stands up against the powers that be in order to save the man she loves! Pretty catchy, right?”

Frankenstein speaks softly against Lupin’s grandiose speech: “It’s just a little difficult when the story’s love interest terrorized London in a gigantic battleship…”

“ Arsène Lupin… it sounds almost like you might have had a hand in crafting these stories,” I murmur.

“Of course!” I can practically see him gesturing grandly. “While Fran tries to reach Victoria’s senses and Saint tries to influence the aristocracy, it is up to me to light a fire in the hearts of the people!”

I hear Lupin step forward and pick up the transmitter. It feels like he’s speaking only to me despite the others being with us.

“Pauline Aronnax, as someone honored enough to live in those hearts as a beloved outlaw, I’m glad to call you a comrade. The story might not be the exact truth, but the ‘heart’ is still there! You feel it too, right?”

I find myself putting my hand over my heart despite myself.

“That ardent heartbeat… whether it awakened in the search of knowledge or in the search of love, no one can deny its power. When our stories come to a close, people won’t remember what made our hearts begin. What they’ll remember is what we do with the power it gives us.”

“Our stories… my story entwining with his…” I whisper.

I am alone with Lupin’s words and the heart thumping in my chest.

“T-T-That’s sooooo beaaauuutiiffuuul—-!!!”

It’s Nemo’s loud wailing that pulls me out of the gentleman thief’s spell.

I shake my head to clear it and put a confident smile on my face. “Lupin, you certainly do have a way with words! Very well, then, I’ll leave my reputation in your capable hands.”

“Then I will make sure you live in the hearts of the people forever, Professor! Victoria will find an uprising on her hands if she goes against Paris’ new darling,” says Lupin.

“Just… can’t you add a little bit more of my research to it?” I laugh nervously. “I mean, can’t that be part of my motivation? The pursuit of knowledge is very romantic!”

“Well, I think that settles it,” says Lupin. “Our princess will be safe with the professor.”

“Uh, Lupin?” I try to interject. “My research?”

“And how would you know that Sister will be safe?” Finis’ voice is low and dangerous.

“Because the professor is in love,” replies Lupin.

“Please at least attempt to make a little sense,” Fogg finally speaks up.

“Just think about everything we’ve been told- from Aouda, that Conseil guy, and even you! The Professor is in love with the very idea of this journey. She would never let anything jeopardize it.” 

“Besides, I think you all are missing something very important,” I add. “I’m quite fond of Cardia, too. There’s no way I would let these two get away with anything indecent.”

“M-Man, Polly-chan, that’s cold…” Barbicane mumbles.

“How cruuuuuel of you to include your beloooooved scientist in there—!!” Nemo puts a hand to his head and dramatically leans back in anguish.

I can practically hear Finis sulking through the aether.

“Finis…” Cardia takes the transmitter from me, addressing her brother with a gentle voice. “You should know better than anyone that I can handle myself.”

Eventually, I hear Finis sigh. It’s probably the best consent we’ll get out of him.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I have a question,” asks Smith. She steps up to the transmitter, looking around worriedly. When nobody objects, she takes a breath. “Honestly, up until a little while ago I never thought about questioning it, but…. why would Professor Aleister go to all this length for a submarine?”

Everybody is silent, even Nemo.

“Finis,” I ask. “He worked under you, right? What do you think?”

Finis scoffs. “Aleister did what I needed for him to do, and that was that. I didn’t bother with useless questions, and neither did he.”

“…Van?” I hear Frankenstein ask quietly. “Do you have any ideas?”

There’s a deep sigh.

“I’ve been thinking about it myself. It seems out of character for him to be after something like a submarine,” he says.

“If he specifically wanted a submarine capable of crossing the Atlantic, that means he plans on going a great distance,” says Frankenstein. “But for what purpose…?”

There’s more silence, until Lupin speaks: “Well, that’s our job to find out, isn’t it? Leave Aleister to us!”

“Haaaa ha ha ha ha!That’s riiiiiiiiiight! If our precious friends help us, then nothing is impossible!”

Nemo’s saccharine words silence me. Though I’m not sure how many picked up on it, or how many even wanted to pick up on it…those words were nothing short of his cruelest sarcasm.

They’re his strange way of reminding us– me– that we have to prepare for the worst.That we might not ever be able to go back. That we might always be on the run from Victoria, or that we might always be evading Aleister’s games.

I quietly reach over and take Nemo’s hand, choosing to respond with a touch instead of with words.

Cardia and Barbicane chat happily with Lupin and the others, pausing every now and then to let Nemo shriek at Frankenstein.

It’s a good half-hour before the call begins to wrap up and we say our goodbyes. It’s obvious just how much Cardia means to the gang, each of them wishing her well on this journey. They also each threaten Barbicane in great detail, and reference the harm that will come to Nemo if he even looks at Cardia the wrong way.

“Professor.”

I straighten up when I hear Aouda’s calm and cool voice. “Yes?”

“Have you found the happiness that you were looking for?”

I remember when she asked me: 'What do you think will make you happy now?'

I had replied, 'I want to be with Nemo and Barbicane and the others.'

I look over at the slouched scientist idly looking over the controls.

“I have."


	27. Shall We Dive?

The sun won’t be rising for awhile. Though the workers of Lincoln Island are usually on a rotational schedule that covers a full 24 hours, it seems like most everyone is asleep. A final night of rest before we dive.

And yet here I walk, interrupting the froth of the shore with my footprints.

The Harper is a black hole cut out from the veil of stars, and its shape draws me towards it.

A black shape on black water, what many might find foreboding I find incredibly peaceful. There’s no sound but the water, even the usual rumblings of the warehouses are quiet.

I stand next to the Harper and reach out to touch her. The metal is cool under my fingertips, and I trace the patterns of her hull as I walk.

I still can’t get over how beautiful she is, the fervor of my admiration is bordering on amorous.

And, of course, the man who built it...

I smile as I lean my forehead against the hull, remembering how cute Nemo looked this morning. He was still sound asleep as I left our room--

\-- our room.

While it was true we had often slept next to each other ever since we left London, it was different officially calling it “our room” instead of “Nemo crashed into my room at four in the morning and stole all of my pillows”.

I lean my body against the Harper, that beautiful thing he created. That beautiful marvel that will take me across the deep blue I was so in love with.

“Oy, Polly-chan, it’s a little early, don’t you think? Um... are you hugging the submarine...?”

I look at Barbicane strolling up the pier, a bemused expression on his face.

“I suppose it does look like that, doesn’t it,” I say as I straighten up.

“Couldn’t sleep, huh?” he walks up beside me and the two of us look over the silhouette of the Harper.

I shake my head. “I feel like a little girl on her birthday. Like there’s going to be a great party and all of my friends are invited.”

“And I didn’t even prepare any cake!” Barbicane laughs.

“What about you?” I ask.

“Couldn’t sleep, either,” he replies.

“That doesn’t surprise me, you have a terrible sleep schedule!”

I can’t bring myself to truly chide him, though, instead mulling over the strange turn my life had taken since I arrived at the mansion that day.

“Barbicane?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Thank you for getting me started on this adventure,” I say.

“Hey, hey, you’re the one left Paris to come here. All I did was--”

“No, I mean before that,” I turn to look at him. “When you brought your submersible to Paris, it was like you showed the world that we still have something to believe in. That mankind still has places to go... that the Nautilus wasn’t the end of our progress.”

“Y-You’re kind of intense,” said Barbicane. “But... I think I get what you’re saying. Don’t worry, Polly-chan, the ocean isn’t the end, either! Remember!”

Barbicane puts a hand on my shoulder and points up towards the moon.

“I’ll be waving down at you from up there someday! Me-- and my angel--!! We’re going to make it there, I just know it!” Barbicane’s eyes are sparkling.

I keep on staring up at the sky. 

“And then, who knows what? There will be new great minds and new great dreams. As long as we can remember science’s purpose, there will be no end to humanity’s progress!”

“And? What do you think science’s purpose is?” I smile, already knowing his answer.

Barbicane thumps his chest. “Nothing less than the happiness of the world!”

“I see,” I laugh. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“You’d better,” said Barbicane. “I mean, now that you’re shacking up with Mr. Bitter Genius himself!”

“Shacking up?!” my eyes widen.

He winks.

“Conducting forbidden experiments together? Generating nocturnal energy?”

I slide my hand down my face. “Oh my god... what has he told you-- no, nevermind. I don’t want to know. This conversation is over, I’m going to get some coffee.”

I turn on my heels and walk away.

“Hey! So which one of you is the little spoon?!” Barbicane calls out after me.

“This conversation is over--!”

“It’s Nemo, isn’t it?!”

I just keep on walking.

I mean, he’s right, but I’m not about to share that with him.

\-----

“You’re... going to fire cannons at the Harper?” I stare at Nemo and Barbicane over the rim of my glasses.

“CHHHHRRIIISSTEENNN! We’re going to CHRISTEN the Harper with a cannon salute!”

Nemo and Barbicane are standing behind a row of cannons that have been pointed out towards the sea, beaming with all the calm and restraint of two six year-olds that had been given a cup of coffee.

“...And you’re certain this won’t damage my submarine?”

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HA HA HAAA!” Nemo’s guffaw is so booming that I’m fairly certain I can feel the pier vibrating. “Oh, that I could eeeeeeeeeever raise a hand against such a beautiful form! Professor, even if all of these cannon balls were a direct hit, she would feel nothing! But, here, you’ll soon see--!”

The final preparations go by in a blur, and the memories of goodbyes and well-wishes seem distant. I know that I’ll regret not imprinting every memory of this last day into my mind, but my heart is about to burst with eagerness.

Time seems to stop long enough for me to greet Smith, who walks up to me and gives a salute.

“Well, Professor, you’re finally off!” she says. “I wish I could go with you, but... there’s something important I need to do here, too.”

Smith screws her face up in determination and lowers her voice. “I’m taking this island back. I don’t know how, but soon Aleister will find that he’s not welcome here.”

I can’t help but blink in astonisment-- no “Professor” Aleister?

“My friends and I owe Aleister our lives, I... I owe him a so much, but...”

She clenches her fist and squeezes her eyes shut, suddenly yelling with all the passion her soul can muster: “I won’t let him use us to hurt others! I refuse to be a tool of destruction!”

Top barks his approval at his master’s outburst.

“I’m glad to hear it,” I say. “But please be careful. Aleister is very dangerous... going up against him won’t be easy.”

“Pshaw, I’m the Great Cyrene Smith! I’m totally prepared for this!”

One of the cannons suddenly fires into the sea, and the noise makes Smith jump a good foot in the air.

“Whooooooooooooooooops!” Nemo looks at me with a wide grin. “Fired too soooooon--!”

“You wicked man...” I whisper, trying to hide my laugh.

“Oh!” Smith suddenly pounds her hand into her fist. “Speaking of firing too soon! Here you go, Professor Aronnax!”

Smith gives me a pretty bottle. I open it up to see lots of cherry-red pills. The same pills from that night that Nemo and I...

“W-- WH-- WHAAAAAT DO YOU MEAN ‘SPEAKING OF FIRING TOO SOON’?! WHAT ARE YOU INSIIIINUATING!!?!”

.....

The rest of the preparations are just as noisy, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m almost in a daze, anxiety and anticipation making my feet tremble as I approach the submarine. The one who blocks my path is the very architect of this dream-ship.

“Oh, come on, Nemo!” my voice sounds more high-pitched than usual. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

“Sooooo impatient!” Nemo steps in the same direction as me to block me again. “You’re going to be in there for at least two weeks, what’s the ruuuuuuush--?!?!”

When I try to side-step him again, he grabs me by the waist and dips me like we’re doing some sort of strange tango. He interrupts my protests by kissing the tip of my nose, taking advantage of my stunned reaction to stand us up and push me back towards the shore. “Come on, let’s put on a show before we leave!”

The entire island has gathered by now, glasses clinking and bottles popping.

Nemo greets the crowd of fellow scientists, engineers, and workers with outstretched arms, practically sashaying towards them.

“You messengers of enlightenment! My fellows-in-arms! Are you ready to witness glooooooooooory---?!?!”

I can’t tell whether the cheering is coming from honest enthusiasm or from the champagne. Still, as I stand behind Nemo, the air around him is charged with contagious excitement.

“This chariot is fueled by nothing less than the hearts of science! Your hearts! My heart! The heart of maaaaaaaaaaaaankind itself!”

Nemo continues to speak like this for awhile, getting even more fired up as he goes. Though his grandiose words might not make the most sense, the passion is coming straight from his heart. He might have been a fantastic public speaker at one point.

“-- and noooow, in our grasp, a graaaaaaaaaaand future--!”

Barbicane sighs. “Looks like we’re going to have to be the ones to stop him.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Cardia agrees. She gives me an apologetic shrug, and I shake my head.

Nemo really is showing no sign of slowing down. Though I could listen to him talk all day, we really do need to get moving.

Barbicane walks over to the line of cannons and loudly announces: “And now it’s time for the genius scientist to christen the Harper, right?!”

Nemo looks over at Barbicane with a large frown. “B-But I’m not fiiiinished...”

“You can’t keep these folks waiting all day, can you?” Barbicane winks.

Nemo dramatically puts a hand on his hip.

“Impeeeeeeeey Barbicaaaaaane, I-- Cardia, did you just light the fuse?”

Cardia looks at Nemo with a sweet smile before nodding.

“GGGHHHHHHHHHK----!!!!” Nemo sprints over to the cannons and lifts his arms. “I CHRISTEN THEE---”

He swings his arms back down. “--- HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARPEEEEEEER!!”

The cannons begin to fire in rapid succession, and strange cannonballs arc into the air.

I tilt my head, never having seen a projectile of that kind before. I jump when they begin to explode mid-air, their red remnants scattering across the water.

“What-- is that..?” I ask above the applause.

Nemo adjusts his goggles, looking at the scene with a gleeful smile. “It’s bait.”

I look up at Nemo for a moment, mouthing the words he had just said.

He takes my gloved hand and brings the back of it to his mouth, giving me a wink behind lenses of his goggles. Then he juts his chin towards the Harper, signalling that it was finally time for me to board.

I’m sure there’s a part of me that wanted to slowly walk towards the Harper, to take in every moment... but I can’t. I dash out towards the pier, practically tripping over myself in my eagerness.

. As I run down the dock, flying fish begin to burst from the water next to me, flicking their tails as they trace their elegant escapes along the surface of the water. This is a signal that Nemo’s bait is attracting watery predators. I can’t stop myself from smiling as I imagine the show that will greet me through the porthole!

Soon Top is running beside me, barking at my heels until I turn around. On the shore, Smith and many of her workers are waving their goodbyes.

These are my people. These are the ones I want to work beside, not the stuffed shirts at the university. I treasure each and every one of them.

I breathlessly return their wave, shouting a hearty goodbye before I jump onto the ladder and scramble down the hatch.

When I make it to the salon, a wall of ocean life is already greeting me through the half-submerged porthole. A school of mackerel, packed tight in a defensive position, wavers through the sea. Rainbow scales glint in the sunny water, enchanting me with their hypnotic patterns. Then, tuna begin to swim by, and I’m presented with a private show of nature’s cycle, watching them plow through the mackerel in quick darts.

I hear Barbicane, Cardia, and Nemo climb down the hatch, but I can’t tear my eyes away. Barracuda have also flocked to the scene, the voids of their eyes sucking me in.

I jump when I feel Nemo hug me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder to watch the spectacle. He’s so warm, and I pull his arms tighter around me.

“I know you’re a scientist who prefers to observe without interfeeeeeering, but...” Nemo grins, and I see his teeth glinting in the reflection of the porthole. “I just couldn’t resist giving you a present.”

“It’s wonderful. Seeing these creatures up close in their natural environment is perfect,” I reply.

Still looking out the porthole, I tilt my head to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey, we’re ready whenever you are!” Barbicane pops his head through the door.

Nemo gives me a squeeze before standing up straight, running a hand through his hair. “The predators should disperse once their prey has either escaped or been killed. Either way, our movement shouldn’t disturb them more than they already have been.”

As Nemo walks past Barbicane, the two of them lock eyes and give each other a giddy thumbs up. Those boys....

Barbicane positions himself in the engine room, Cardia and I on the bridge with Nemo.

“Engines, staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaandby!”

“Aye-aye!” Barbicane’s voice echoes through a tube in the wall, even though we can clearly hear him across the submarine. The way the two of them are acting, it’s more like they’re playing a game than starting a voyage.

Nemo cracks his knuckles before pulling a lever.

As we begin to move, I can see Smith leading the people of Lincoln Island along the shore, continuing to wave and cheer for us.

It’s finally begun.

I pull the periscope down and peer through it, finally taking the time to memorize the joyous celebration taking place on the shore.

It’s Nemo’s voice that pulls me back. “Well theeen-!”

I turn back to face him, the ocean surface giving him the perfect backdrop.

“Shall we dive, my professor?”

My cheeks ache from my joyful smile as I nod, and the Harper finally begins its plunge into the deep blue.


	28. Captain Nemo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the clean version of "Captain Nemo". If you want the explicit version, please head to the next chapter.

Though we spend a great deal of our in the epipelagic zone, where sunlight can easily penetrate, I feel an excited pit form in my stomach whenever Nemo announces that we’ve passed into the mesopelagic zone.

The twilight ocean.

Though sunlight technically reaches these depths, it is not enough for photosynthesis to occur. However, while there is no plant life, animal life is a different matter. Not a full day is out before I’ve already spotted a swordfish that’s easily over three meters long!

I wonder how many of my journals I’ll be able to fill in two weeks? It’s hard to sketch moving creatures, but the challenge is exhilarating!

When the porthole looks empty, I occupy myself by talking to Cardia about the routine checks and maintenance for the Harper. It’s not that I don’t love helping Impey and Nemo, but Cardia speaks in a language that’s easier for a beginner like me to understand.

I hardly ever have a moment of free time, but when I do, of course Barbicane happens to peer over my shoulder.

“Woaahh! So you can draw more than just scientific specimens!”

My face flushes and he leans over to look at my sketching.

“Oh man, you’ve got her down perfectly!” Barbicane suddenly plucks my journal from my hands. “Cardia-chan, my angel, put on paper!”

“Don’t you have better things to do?” I ask. “Like getting some sleep or–”

“Oh, Polly-chan, what’s the harm of a little fun? Come on, I want to show her!”

“B-Barbicane, wait!!”

But l might as well be chasing after a rabbit he sprints so quickly through the door.

Cardia is sitting on her bunk, having a quiet moment with a warm cup of coffee and a biscuit.

“Cardia-chan, look at this! She did a pretty good job, right?!”

Cardia looks at the journal that Barbicane is offering to her, and I stand behind him, almost too nervous to watch.

But she smiles and looks at me with a gentle expression. “It’s amazing. This must be really hard to do.”

“No, not …. not really…” I stammer. “I mean, I’ve been practicing art since I was a little girl. It just takes time and practice…”

But Cardia’s looking at the sketch I made as though it were magic.

I take a deep breath and say, “Hold that thought.”

I quickly turn around and walk back into the salon, headed straight for the bookshelf embedded into the wall. Though Nemo has most of these shelves dedicated to science (with a surprising amount of philosophy peppered about), the bottom shelf is entirely filled with blank books.

I pull one out and leaf through it before returning to the bunks and handing it to Cardia. “Here you are.”

She blinks up at me curiously before gingerly taking the book from my hands. “What is this?”

“Your journal,” I say.

“Mine?” she repeats.

“Start with something small, like a spoon or even a bolt,” I say. “Observe it, connect your mind to your pen, and draw what you see.”

Cardia’s smile falters. “It won’t look anything like what I see, though.”

“That’s why you can’t stop,” I say. “Every page you fill is a world of experiences, Cardia. Besides, I’m sure your number one fan would love to see whatever you do.”

“That’s right!” Barbicane points to himself triumphantly. “I believe in you, Cardia! Maybe someday you can draw my stunning physique!” He strikes a pose. “Like Polly-chan drew Nemo a few pages back!”

“BARBICANE!!” the color drains from my face.

—–

The next time we surface, Nemo gives the controls to Barbicane before climbing up the hatch. I begin to do a routine check of the bridge when I hear Nemo’s booming voice through the submarine.

“PROOOOOOOOOOFESSOR!”

I shake my head and climb up the ladder after him. When I reach the top rung, Nemo grabs my arm and pulls me up, a wide smile on his face.

Since the Harper took off, we hadn’t had much time to see each other alone. Granted, it’s only been a few days, but after working next to someone for so long, it’s lonely to suddenly be apart.

“The stars are so bright out here…” I say as I walk along the top of the Harper. “It reminds me of when were were in the airship.”

I look back at Nemo with a smile, and watch as he lifts a sextant to the sky. He really does look like a sailor like this, and I sigh as he writes down his findings.

“Captain Nemo…”

“Hrm?” Nemo peers around the navigational device to look at me.

“What, don’t you think it has a nice ring to it?”

Nemo looks at me, his lips drawn thin, processing my words. Then he opens his mouth and says: “Say it again.”

“What? Captain Nemo?”

His posture stiffens, and he jerkily pulls his goggles up onto his forehead. His eyes are sparkling with delight.

“It’s…. it’s….”

He suddenly bounds over and squeezes me tight. “PEEEERFEEEEEEEEEECT!! My sweet, cute, daaaaarling Professor! Say it again, say it–!”

“C-Captai—” My words are cut off as he spins me around and rubs his nose against mine.

“Ahoy up there!” Barbicane bangs on the ladder. “Are we going to get our coordinates sometime tonight?”

“Riiiiiiiiiiight, right!” Nemo grins down the hatch before I yank him back to me and kiss him. He jolts in surprise but soon leans forward, and we melt like both of us had forgotten how good it was to touch each other.

He tries to speak, but each time he opens his mouth, I cut him off with another kiss. Finally, he whines in frustration and puts a finger to my lips. “Neeeeext shift… let’s catch up, shall we~?”

He winks.

“I want to hear aaaaalll about the things you’ve seen! Tell me eeeeevery detail!” he strikes a flamboyant pose. “And then—!”

Nemo lifts my chin and bends down towards me, but his eyes snap back open and focus on something past me.

“Get below,” he speaks quickly.

I turn around and glimpse a small shape on the horizon before Nemo ushers me back into the Harper.

Barbicane looks over at Nemo as he climbs down and closes the hatch behind us.

“Think they’ve spotted us?” he asks.

“It soon won’t matter whether they have or noooot!” Nemo puts his goggles back on as he looks outside one of the portholes. “Soon, we will be nothing more than a mirage, a trick of the sky itself! ENGINES—”

“Yeah, yeah, prepare to dive, got it!” Barbicane waves before making his way back to the engine room.

As Nemo pulls a lever and we begin to descend to the safety of the deep, I focus my eyes on the ship far-off in the distance

.....

An hour passes. Instead of focusing on the life passing by the salon’s porthole I find myself constantly glancing upwards towards the suface. With every shadow that passes, a ball forms in the pit of my stomach, sitting like a brick.

I don’t know why I feel so nervous, ships are a common thing. But perhaps I am afraid that a British flag will unfurl, and we’ll find ourselves in combat with Victoria in international waters.

I sink into the lounge and hang my head. Right now, more than anything, I need sleep. But there’s no way my anxiety will release its grip on me so easily.

I don’t even look up when I hear the salon door open and shut. There’s some shuffling and the sound of a seat moving before silence falls once again. Then, Bach once again graces my ears.

I slowly look back up. The music is a perfect backdrop to the ocean flowing past us. It’s energizing, and I manage to tear my eyes from the porthole to watch Nemo play.

His hair, damp from bathing, it tied back into a low braid hanging down his back. He’s dressed down considerably, simply wearing his usual turtleneck and a pair of leather pants. Somehow, this wardrobe and the lack of his usual makeup makes him look almost… “normal”. It’s not better or worse than his usual, just different.

“You have to be tired,” I say as I stand up and walk over to him. “Surely you can spare a few hours to get some sleep.”

I reach out and gently begin to rub his back in slow circles.

He continues to play, as though I’m not even there. I stand there and watch his skilled fingers move perfectly over the keys.

Finally, a long note plays, signalling the end of Nemo’s performance.

“You’re a very braaaaave woman to interrupt a madman’s concentration,” he says, a slow smile stretching on his lips.

Even without his lipstick on, Nemo’s lips are dark and very soft when I bend down to kiss him.

“I’d say that I’m more selfish than brave,” I say. “Selfishness can push me where bravery can’t.”

I sit down on the bench next to him and wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“I think… even in an airship sailing high through the clouds… I don’t think even the heights could keep me from you. That’s just how powerful my selfishness is.”

Nemo squints at me, then bites his lip, his shoulders shaking. Finally, he throws his head back and laughs so loudly that the pipe organ hums.

It takes awhile, but eventually he calms down enough to form a coherent sentence. “Y-you couldn’t budge an iiiiiiiiiiinch when we were on that tiny, tiny airship! What makes you think you’d suddenly be able to… haha… hahahahahaa!! If you were on something that could go as high as the Nautilus, you’d be in teeeeears!”

Nemo bends over and leans his head on my shoulder, still trembling from laughter.

“The Nautilus...” I look away from him and shake my head. “I don’t think it would be the height that would frighten me so much as its raw power. It was... incredible...”

Nemo puts his hand on my cheek, turning me so that I have to look at him. 

It would be so easy for me to lose myself in those deep eyes, burning like the sunset.

“You’re more afraid of the creation than the architect.”

It wasn’t a question, which was refreshing because it meant that he already knew the answer.

His hand is so warm, and I lean into it without thinking.

“I was afraid of you when we first met, Nemo. I would have been a fool not to be. But you still have so much more to give the world!”

“I knooooow~” Nemo smiles, looking off into the distance. “I have so many great things planned, my mind can hardly contaaaain them!”

“I want to hear all about them! But first...” I stand up and take him by the hand, leading him to the porthole.

“Look at what you’ve done for me already,” I say, holding tightly onto his arm. I point out to the blue expanse, sunlight filtering through the water in crystalline rays.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl. I’d sit in my wardrobe and pretend that it was a magnificent underwater ship.”

I wrap my arm around him, leaning my head against his chest so I can feel his heartbeat while looking out at the water.

“I’d always take my grandfather’s anthology of Plato’s dialogues in there with me and read them over and over. I couldn’t understand any of it, but I thought if I repeated it enough, my brain would somehow absorb the information. Somehow I’d gain the knowledge to find the lost continent of Atlantis!”

Nemo raises an eyebrow at me.

“Don’t give me that look, it’s embarrassing,” I say with a sheepish laugh. “I was just a kid, remember? But... Atlantis or not, I’m still able to re-live something special because of you. How could I be afraid now?”

I turn to him, my eyes sparkling. “I want more of these adventures. All the darkness and danger that goes along with it, too! Take me in the sky with you, won’t you? No matter how much I tremble... don’t stop. Make me experience it all, sea and sky.”

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. “I want to see everything you can create. Science won’t wait for me to get over my fears.”

“Hee hee hee...” Nemo begins to undo my bun, stroking my hair as it falls down my shoulders. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is to saaaaaaaaaay such things to me, the ousted Lord of the Sky?”

A dangerous grin stretches across his face. “I miiiiiight decide to keep you all to myself, and never let you walk upon the blasted earth agaaaaaiin!”  
I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his wicked smile again. “I think I could handle you, but that’s a risk I guess I’ll have to take... my captain.”

\-----

I settle in against Nemo’s chest, both of us sprawled out on the chaise lounge.

It’s a long time before one of us speaks.

“A part of me... does wish I could have seen the Nautilus in person,” I admit.

Nemo giggles.

“The Nautilus was a great masterpiece…” his voice is hoarse from exertion. “But it wasn’t my fiiiiinaaaal one… once we get back to land, I’m going to design the perfect airship… faster and sleeker than anything the world has seen… yeeeees… beautiful enough to even eclipse my Naaauutiluusss…”

He closes his eyes, content in whatever fantasy he’s cooking up for himself.

“And when that happens, yes… oh yes, I’ll take you up there, Professor. Again and again… and again… I’ll be the one… to graaant… all…. yoooour…dreeeeeeeaaams…… and I’ll never go back to the ground… ever… ever……..”

The next time he opens his mouth, it’s in a deep snore.

I nuzzle my cheek into his bare chest before falling asleep myself.

.....

“Oy, Nemo!”

I jolt when I hear Barbicane’s voice. I sleepily look over to the voice tube that Barbicane is speaking through.

“Mmm…” Nemo frowns, scrunching his nose in displeasure. “Impeeeeeey… Barbicane…. this had better be impoooooortant…”

“Hey, listen, I didn’t want to interrupt you, either! Man, I can’t believe you couldn’t keep it in your pants for a week! My poor angel and I have been huddled up here wearing noise cancelers and they STILL weren’t enough! Aren’t you supposed to be focused on science?! Tch!! Why’d it have to be you…”

I sit up and hastily begin buttoning up my blouse, shame making my entire body flush red.

Nemo stretches before leaning back and casually lacing his fingers behind his head. He doesn’t even acknowledge Barbicane’s complaints, instead asking: “Sooooooo….?”

Barbicane sighs. “We’re being hailed via the aether transmitter. Must be a strong one to reach this deep, I didn’t even think it was possible!”

Nemo’s frown deepens as he repeats: “Sooooooooooooo…..?”

“SO, we’re being hailed! At first I thought someone was in trouble, but… well, listen for yourself!”

There’s a sharp whine as Barbicane relays the transmission over the voice tube.

“—essor! If you can hear me, please respond! Professor!”

I leap to my feet, realization spreading through me.

“Conseil--!”


	29. Captain Nemo (EXPLICIT VERSION)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the explicit version of "Captain Nemo" that contains graphic sex between Aronnax and Nemo. Please proceed to the former chapter if you wish to read the non-explicit version.

Though we spend a great deal of our in the epipelagic zone, where sunlight can easily penetrate, I feel an excited pit form in my stomach whenever Nemo announces that we’ve passed into the mesopelagic zone.

The twilight ocean.

Though sunlight technically reaches these depths, it is not enough for photosynthesis to occur. However, while there is no plant life, animal life is a different matter. Not a full day is out before I’ve already spotted a swordfish that’s easily over three meters long!

I wonder how many of my journals I’ll be able to fill in two weeks? It’s hard to sketch moving creatures, but the challenge is exhilarating!

When the porthole looks empty, I occupy myself by talking to Cardia about the routine checks and maintenance for the Harper. It’s not that I don’t love helping Impey and Nemo, but Cardia speaks in a language that’s easier for a beginner like me to understand.

I hardly ever have a moment of free time, but when I do, of course Barbicane happens to peer over my shoulder.

“Woaahh! So you can draw more than just scientific specimens!”

My face flushes and he leans over to look at my sketching.

“Oh man, you’ve got her down perfectly!” Barbicane suddenly plucks my journal from my hands. “Cardia-chan, my angel, put on paper!”

“Don’t you have better things to do?” I ask. “Like getting some sleep or–”

“Oh, Polly-chan, what’s the harm of a little fun? Come on, I want to show her!”

“B-Barbicane, wait!!”

But l might as well be chasing after a rabbit he sprints so quickly through the door.

Cardia is sitting on her bunk, having a quiet moment with a warm cup of coffee and a biscuit.

“Cardia-chan, look at this! She did a pretty good job, right?!”

Cardia looks at the journal that Barbicane is offering to her, and I stand behind him, almost too nervous to watch.

But she smiles and looks at me with a gentle expression. “It’s amazing. This must be really hard to do.”

“No, not …. not really…” I stammer. “I mean, I’ve been practicing art since I was a little girl. It just takes time and practice…”

But Cardia’s looking at the sketch I made as though it were magic.

I take a deep breath and say, “Hold that thought.”

I quickly turn around and walk back into the salon, headed straight for the bookshelf embedded into the wall. Though Nemo has most of these shelves dedicated to science (with a surprising amount of philosophy peppered about), the bottom shelf is entirely filled with blank books.

I pull one out and leaf through it before returning to the bunks and handing it to Cardia. “Here you are.”

She blinks up at me curiously before gingerly taking the book from my hands. “What is this?”

“Your journal,” I say.

“Mine?” she repeats.

“Start with something small, like a spoon or even a bolt,” I say. “Observe it, connect your mind to your pen, and draw what you see.”

Cardia’s smile falters. “It won’t look anything like what I see, though.”

“That’s why you can’t stop,” I say. “Every page you fill is a world of experiences, Cardia. Besides, I’m sure your number one fan would love to see whatever you do.”

“That’s right!” Barbicane points to himself triumphantly. “I believe in you, Cardia! Maybe someday you can draw my stunning physique!” He strikes a pose. “Like Polly-chan drew Nemo a few pages back!”

“BARBICANE!!” the color drains from my face.

—–

The next time we surface, Nemo gives the controls to Barbicane before climbing up the hatch. I begin to do a routine check of the bridge when I hear Nemo’s booming voice through the submarine.

“PROOOOOOOOOOFESSOR!”

I shake my head and climb up the ladder after him. When I reach the top rung, Nemo grabs my arm and pulls me up, a wide smile on his face.

Since the Harper took off, we hadn’t had much time to see each other alone. Granted, it’s only been a few days, but after working next to someone for so long, it’s lonely to suddenly be apart.

“The stars are so bright out here…” I say as I walk along the top of the Harper. “It reminds me of when were were in the airship.”

I look back at Nemo with a smile, and watch as he lifts a sextant to the sky. He really does look like a sailor like this, and I sigh as he writes down his findings.

“Captain Nemo…”

“Hrm?” Nemo peers around the navigational device to look at me.

“What, don’t you think it has a nice ring to it?”

Nemo looks at me, his lips drawn thin, processing my words. Then he opens his mouth and says: “Say it again.”

“What? Captain Nemo?”

His posture stiffens, and he jerkily pulls his goggles up onto his forehead. His eyes are sparkling with delight.

“It’s…. it’s….”

He suddenly bounds over and squeezes me tight. “PEEEERFEEEEEEEEEECT!! My sweet, cute, daaaaarling Professor! Say it again, say it–!”

“C-Captai—” My words are cut off as he spins me around and rubs his nose against mine.

“Ahoy up there!” Barbicane bangs on the ladder. “Are we going to get our coordinates sometime tonight?”

“Riiiiiiiiiiight, right!” Nemo grins down the hatch before I yank him back to me and kiss him. He jolts in surprise but soon leans forward, and we melt like both of us had forgotten how good it was to touch each other.

He tries to speak, but each time he opens his mouth, I cut him off with another kiss. Finally, he whines in frustration and puts a finger to my lips. “Neeeeext shift… let’s catch up, shall we~?”

He winks.

“I want to hear aaaaalll about the things you’ve seen! Tell me eeeeevery detail!” he strikes a flamboyant pose. “And then—!”

Nemo lifts my chin and bends down towards me, but his eyes snap back open and focus on something past me.

“Get below,” he speaks quickly.

I turn around and glimpse a small shape on the horizon before Nemo ushers me back into the Harper.

Barbicane looks over at Nemo as he climbs down and closes the hatch behind us.

“Think they’ve spotted us?” he asks.

“It soon won’t matter whether they have or noooot!” Nemo puts his goggles back on as he looks outside one of the portholes. “Soon, we will be nothing more than a mirage, a trick of the sky itself! ENGINES—”

“Yeah, yeah, prepare to dive, got it!” Barbicane waves before making his way back to the engine room.

As Nemo pulls a lever and we begin to descend to the safety of the deep, I focus my eyes on the ship far-off in the distance

.....

An hour passes. Instead of focusing on the life passing by the salon’s porthole I find myself constantly glancing upwards towards the suface. With every shadow that passes, a ball forms in the pit of my stomach, sitting like a brick.

I don’t know why I feel so nervous, ships are a common thing. But perhaps I am afraid that a British flag will unfurl, and we’ll find ourselves in combat with Victoria in international waters.

I sink into the lounge and hang my head. Right now, more than anything, I need sleep. But there’s no way my anxiety will release its grip on me so easily.

I don’t even look up when I hear the salon door open and shut. There’s some shuffling and the sound of a seat moving before silence falls once again. Then, Bach once again graces my ears.

I slowly look back up. The music is a perfect backdrop to the ocean flowing past us. It’s energizing, and I manage to tear my eyes from the porthole to watch Nemo play.

His hair, damp from bathing, it tied back into a low braid hanging down his back. He’s dressed down considerably, simply wearing his usual turtleneck and a pair of leather pants. Somehow, this wardrobe and the lack of his usual makeup makes him look almost… “normal”. It’s not better or worse than his usual, just different.

“You have to be tired,” I say as I stand up and walk over to him. “Surely you can spare a few hours to get some sleep.”

I reach out and gently begin to rub his back in slow circles.

He continues to play, as though I’m not even there. I stand there and watch his skilled fingers move perfectly over the keys.

Finally, a long note plays, signalling the end of Nemo’s performance.

“You’re a very braaaaave woman to interrupt a madman’s concentration,” he says, a slow smile stretching on his lips.

Even without his lipstick on, Nemo’s lips are dark and very soft when I bend down to kiss him.

“I’d say that I’m more selfish than brave,” I say. “Selfishness can push me where bravery can’t.”

I sit down on the bench next to him and wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“I think… even in an airship sailing high through the clouds… I don’t think even the heights could keep me from you. That’s just how powerful my selfishness is.”

Nemo squints at me, then bites his lip, his shoulders shaking. Finally, he throws his head back and laughs so loudly that the pipe organ hums.

It takes awhile, but eventually he calms down enough to form a coherent sentence. “Y-you couldn’t budge an iiiiiiiiiiinch when we were on that tiny, tiny airship! What makes you think you’d suddenly be able to… haha… hahahahahaa!! If you were on something that could go as high as the Nautilus, you’d be in teeeeears!”

Nemo bends over and leans his head on my shoulder, still trembling from laughter.

“The Nautilus...” I look away from him and shake my head. “I don’t think it would be the height that would frighten me so much as its raw power. It was... incredible...”

Nemo puts his hand on my cheek, turning me so that I have to look at him. 

It would be so easy for me to lose myself in those deep eyes, burning like the sunset.

“You’re more afraid of the creation than the architect.”

It wasn’t a question, which was refreshing because it meant that he already knew the answer.

His hand is so warm, and I lean into it without thinking.

“I was afraid of you when we first met, Nemo. I would have been a fool not to be. But you still have so much more to give the world!”

“I knooooow~” Nemo smiles, looking off into the distance. “I have so many great things planned, my mind can hardly contaaaain them!”

“I want to hear all about them! But first...” I stand up and take him by the hand, leading him to the porthole.

“Look at what you’ve done for me already,” I say, holding tightly onto his arm. I point out to the blue expanse, sunlight filtering through the water in crystalline rays.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl. I’d sit in my wardrobe and pretend that it was a magnificent underwater ship.”

I wrap my arm around him, leaning my head against his chest so I can feel his heartbeat while looking out at the water.

“I’d always take my grandfather’s anthology of Plato’s dialogues in there with me and read them over and over. I couldn’t understand any of it, but I thought if I repeated it enough, my brain would somehow absorb the information. Somehow I’d gain the knowledge to find the lost continent of Atlantis!”

Nemo raises an eyebrow at me.

“Don’t give me that look, it’s embarrassing,” I say with a sheepish laugh. “I was just a kid, remember? But... Atlantis or not, I’m still able to re-live something special because of you. How could I be afraid now?”

I turn to him, my eyes sparkling. “I want more of these adventures. All the darkness and danger that goes along with it, too! Take me in the sky with you, won’t you? No matter how much I tremble... don’t stop. Make me experience it all, sea and sky.”

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. “I want to see everything you can create. Science won’t wait for me to get over my fears.”

“Hee hee hee...” Nemo begins to undo my bun, stroking my hair as it falls down my shoulders. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is to saaaaaaaaaay such things to me, the ousted Lord of the Sky?”

A dangerous grin stretches across his face. “I miiiiiight decide to keep you all to myself, and never let you walk upon the blasted earth agaaaaaiin!”

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his wicked smile again. “I think I could handle you, but that’s a risk I guess I’ll have to take... my captain.”

Nemo suddenly grabs my shoulders and pushes me against the porthole. His breathing is ragged as begins to hike up my skirt around my waist. The glass feels cool on my buttocks, and I blush when I realize how exposed I am.

“Nemo, what if someone...”

Nemo bends down to my height and looks at me with a serious expression. “Who...? The fiiiiiiiiiiish? Do you not want the fish to seeeee us?”

He pulls out a dagger and toys with it.

“You don’t want them to see your laaaaaacy garter belt?” his laugh is dark as he tugs at one of my stocking straps until it smacks back against my skin, making me yelp.

He undoes my tie and tosses it aside before proceeding to unhook the buttons of my blouse.

“But reeeeeeeeally, professor, modesty has no place here in my realm! Ahh.... but that sounds like the fun beginnings of a story, don’t you thiiiiiiink? A pretty professor held in a metal prison deep below the sea, where ‘nobody’ lays claim… Her mind is used in the progress of science, and her body…”

He grazes the tip of his blade down my sternum and flicks it under the front clasp of my bra.

“…Is used for the amorous desires of the geeeeenius scientist who holds her captive!”

He pulls the dagger up until it rips through the fabric, my breasts falling free. He stands there silently for a moment, examining the way my chest rises and falls with each breath. My nipples begin to ache, and with a smirk he grazes one with the back of his hand. His touch felt electric, and I arch my back for more.

“You really are a maaaaa~soooo~chiiiiist~ to be enjoying this scenario! How sad, how siiiiiiick---!” 

He flicks his dagger over and pushes its handle against my panties. I bite my lip as he nudges it past my vulva and gently begins to rotate it in a slow circle, seeking out my clitoris.

I groan and arch my hips pleadingly when he pulls it away.

He slides the dagger under my panties, and I put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Wait...” my voice is hoarse. “Please, this is one of my favorite pairs...” I look at him with half-lidded eyes. “I’ll make it up to you...”

I lean forward and push my breasts against his chest, whispering in his ear: “...Captain Nemo...”

The dagger clatters to the floor, forgotten as Nemo quickly reaches around and digs his fingers into my hips and buttocks. He buries his head in my shoulder, sucking at my skin as his hands desperately pinch and grab at whatever flesh of mine he can reach.

I gasp at his sudden ferocity, shivering as he loops his fingers in the fabric of my panties and snaps them before stepping back.

“Theeeeeeeen I’d suggest you hurry and get them off!”

With a giggle he pulls his sweater over his head and tosses it onto the lounge, and I barely have time to kick my panties off before he is in my arms, holding me tight to him. I can feel both of our heartbeats like this.

I glance down and smile when I see that he’s already unhooked his pants, and I reach for my prize.

But he grabs me by the wrist, a crazed grin twisting his face.

“My pretty, pretty professoooooooor... I haven’t given you permission...”

“Oh?” I pout. “Are you going to ask me to beg, Captain?”

“Ha.... hahaha... aaaaa----hahahahahahahaaaaa-----!!!”

I wince at his booming laugh, and wince again when he grabs me by the shoulder and turns me over, shoving my cheek against the glass.

“Oh no no nooooo! You’re not going to get the chaaaaaaaaaaaaaance to beg!”

I yelp in surprise when he suddenly lifts me, holding me up by my legs so they’re spread wide.

I’m completely exposed. Even if the ocean is my only witness, being put on display like this makes me ache with both humiliation and desire. I feel so swollen, so agonizingly empty!

“Yeeeeess... you see yourself in the reflection there, don’t you?”

I look up, locking eyes with my reflection in the porthole. I look so needy, I feel my stomach turn in revulsion and arousal.

I curl my toes when I feel Nemo nudge the tip of his penis against my vaginal entrance. I look back up at our reflection, and I see the glint of his smile as he begins to rub himself against the length of my vulva.

“That sweeeeeet expression you’re making-- and this angelic body-- both are about to be sullied by meeeeeeeee, Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemooooooo----!”

With this loud declaration, he plunges into me.

I almost lose control when I see how hungrily my body eats him up. I can feel my vaginal walls throbbing against him, welcoming him, pleading for him to fill me over and over again.

He begins to pull out, slowly, and I twitch when I see each of his piercings slowly slide out from inside of me. It’s almost like they’re a unit of measurement-- deep, deeper, all the way...

My fingers twitch when he thrusts back in.

“Noooooow then, my dear! Why don’t we show the sea itself just where you beloooooooong!”

Thrust.

“Impaled!”

Another thrust.

“Twisting and convulsing--- a disgusting display of humanity’s basic instincts--!!”

I spasm as I feel his tip hit my cervix.

“But it feels gooood... doesn’t it... to give in like this? To give into meeeeee?”

He stops, waiting for me to answer.

“Yes...”

He still doesn’t move, and I squeeze my muscles in an attempt to coax him back inside. In response, he begins to pull out.

I cry in desperation: “Yes! God, fuck me---!!”

He cackles, rewarding my obedience by doing just that.

He’s so stiff, and the sensation of his piercings on top of that are driving me crazy. I can barely concentrate, focusing my vision on his beautiful cock pounding into my eager body.

My mind, foggy with lust, begins to think-- the Nautilus was a terrifying creation, a modern Tower of Babel, and yet...

Yet, I find myself wishing that I had been up there with him, that he would’ve taken me like this--! For all of London to see!

The force of my orgasm rips through me like lightning, and I can barely keep my eyes open to watch my reflection convulse.

In response, Nemo begins to rock his hips instead of thrusting, grinding his shaft against my sensitive insides. It feels heavenly.

As I begin to calm, as my muscles begin to relax, I realize that Nemo is still stiff inside of me.

“My~ you sure do finish quickly, doooon’t you?”

He staggers back, his own body trembling as he sits down on the chaise lounge, with me on his lap.

“Well then... are you ready to continuuuue?”

I look back at him and shake my head. “You stopped me before... but now you’ll let me have a taste, right?”

I open my mouth and let my tongue loll out, mimicking one of his expressions.

I take advantage of Nemo’s shocked expression to stand up, shuddering as Nemo’s stiff member slides out and rests on his stomach, twitching with need.

“My cute scientist...” I purr. “You might have me captive, but I have ways of getting what I want in the end.”

I kneel down between his legs and put my lips on his shaft. I can feel the blood quickly pumping through it, letting me know how badly he needs this release. The heat radiating from his skin is intoxicating, and I eagerly let my tongue roam over his shaft, pausing to gently suck on each barbell decorating his penis.

He arches his hips and hisses. “This isn’t the time to tease me, Pauliiiiiine--!”

I smile as I slide the head of Nemo’s penis into my mouth. Finally, it feels like I’ve waited eons to feel his incredible heat! I feel him twitching inside of me, stiffening even further at my doting affections.

If a twisted part of Nemo still desires to be worshiped, then I will gladly fulfill that fantasy for him!

I eagerly try to fit more of him into my mouth, cupping his scrotum as my lips slide farther down his shaft.

Nemo rewards me with a loud moan, opening his legs wider and propping his foot up on the lounge. I look up at him and watch as he begins to lift his hips and thrust into me, forcing his length deeper into my yielding mouth.

I give a needy moan of my own, but I freeze when I realize that Barbicane and Cardia have likely been forced to listen to us this whole time. That break in concentration is enough for the ring in Nemo’s foreskin to rub against my throat, and I begin gagging.

I quickly slide him out of my mouth and collapse to the floor of the submarine, putting a hand to my neck as I cough. My eyes sting with tears, and I quickly wipe them as I look back up at Nemo.

He’s sprawled on the chaise lounge, his hips twitching as he lightly bucks into the air, looking at me with half-lidded eyes.

“Professoooor…” he whines. “Leaving me like this… it’s so cruel…!”

He’s so cute, I can’t resist teasing him like this.

I playfully lean in-between his legs and kiss his frenulum, running my tongue along his ring

.“You have such a lovely cock, Nemo…” I purr. “Glistening with sweat, and decorated so nicely…”

I tilt his penis forward so I can suck on the very tip.

“I caaaaan’t--!!” Nemo thrusts his hips up, and when I feel his penis begin to pulse I take him in as deep as I can without choking.

The throbbing intensifies, and Nemo lets out a deep groan as the first spurt of his semen fills my mouth. It’s warm, thick, and bitter, and I can’t help but moan as I swallow it. This act feels so incredibly intimate, there’s nothing else like it.

Nemo’s staring at me, his lip twitching as his body convulses. He reaches out his hand and threads his fingers through my hair as the second, third, fourth spurts fill my mouth.

It’s all I can do not to choke, and a trail of his semen begins to leak down my chin. Nemo gives a light whimper and I slow down my movements, realizing how sensitive he must be.

I lock eyes with him as I slowly release him from my lips. My brain feels hazy as I open my mouth, his semen dribbling down my tongue.

For once, Nemo is silent, just watching the spectacle of his white cream dripping from my mouth.

I laugh lightly as I catch the threads of his ejaculate with my hands and bring them to my mouth, cleaning myself off.

He’s still staring, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

“Nemo...” I sit up and gently lick the oozing remnants of his orgasm away from his tip. “I told you I have ways of getting what I want... Cap~tain~...”

\-----

I settle in against Nemo’s chest, both of us sprawled out on the chaise lounge.

It’s a long time before one of us speaks.

“A part of me... does wish I could have seen the Nautilus in person,” I admit.

Nemo giggles.

“The Nautilus was a great masterpiece…” his voice is hoarse from exertion. “But it wasn’t my fiiiiinaaaal one… once we get back to land, I’m going to design the perfect airship… faster and sleeker than anything the world has seen… yeeeees… beautiful enough to even eclipse my Naaauutiluusss…”

He closes his eyes, content in whatever fantasy he’s cooking up for himself.

“And when that happens, yes… oh yes, I’ll take you up there, Professor. Again and again… and again… I’ll be the one… to graaant… all…. yoooour…dreeeeeeeaaams…… and I’ll never go back to the ground… ever… ever……..”

The next time he opens his mouth, it’s in a deep snore.

I nuzzle my cheek into his bare chest before falling asleep myself.

.....

“Oy, Nemo!”

I jolt when I hear Barbicane’s voice. I sleepily look over to the voice tube that Barbicane is speaking through.

“Mmm…” Nemo frowns, scrunching his nose in displeasure. “Impeeeeeey… Barbicane…. this had better be impoooooortant…”

“Hey, listen, I didn’t want to interrupt you, either! Man, I can’t believe you couldn’t keep it in your pants for a week! My poor angel and I have been huddled up here wearing noise cancelers and they STILL weren’t enough! Aren’t you supposed to be focused on science?! Tch!! Why’d it have to be you…”

I sit up and hastily begin buttoning up my blouse, shame making my entire body flush red.

Nemo stretches before leaning back and casually lacing his fingers behind his head. He doesn’t even acknowledge Barbicane’s complaints, instead asking: “Sooooooo….?”

Barbicane sighs. “We’re being hailed via the aether transmitter. Must be a strong one to reach this deep, I didn’t even think it was possible!”

Nemo’s frown deepens as he repeats: “Sooooooooooooo…..?”

“SO, we’re being hailed! At first I thought someone was in trouble, but… well, listen for yourself!”

There’s a sharp whine as Barbicane relays the transmission over the voice tube.

“—essor! If you can hear me, please respond! Professor!”

I leap to my feet, realization spreading through me.

“Conseil--!”


	30. Bitter Reunions

I stand and listen to the relieved sobs coming over the transmitter.

“Professor, is that really you?!” Conseil asks me over and over. “I can’t believe it, I just can’t believe it...”

I’ve never heard him this emotional. Well, not with this emotion, anyway. I’m afraid I made him sick with worry a few times on our expeditions. There was that one time with the school of piranha... I could have sworn that he knew that they were quite skittish creatures, but...

Anyway. It is good to hear his voice again, and I can’t help but reminisce.

“Conseil, what are you doing out here?” I ask.

“Looking for you, of course!” he replies. “I’ve been searching for almost a month now. Professor, it’s... it’s horrible... the things people are saying about you--”

The door opens and Nemo strides through, looking primped and polished in his usual style of choice. It’s a stark contrast to me, who didn’t even bother putting my boots on before running out here.

“Spleeeeendid! An assistant holding such dedication to their master is a thing of beaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauty!” he loudly applauds Conseil’s words.

Conseil’s silence says more than any of his words possibly could.

“Okay, did it just get chilly in here?” Barbicane rubs his bare arm.

“Professor...” Conseil continues. “I need to speak with you. Won’t you please surface?”

Nemo starts to give me a thumbs up, but Barbicane forces his arm back down. “Nemo, I’ve got a bad feeling about this... Uh, Conseil... how exactly did you get out here..?”

“It’s quite simple, Mr. Barbicane,” Conseil replied. “I hired someone.”

“You hired someone to scour the middle of the ocean with you?!” Barbicane looks dumbfounded. “Aren’t you and Polly-chan flat broke right now?!”

“I’m fairly certain that our financial situation is none of your concern, Mr. Barbicane... though it’s true that the police haven’t found anything substantial yet...”

“Conseil!” I stiffen. “I’m curious, too! How... and why?”

Conseil sighs. “The initial money was provided by M. Aronnax...”

My mouth goes dry.

“G-Grandfather...?!”

“... I really must speak with you, Professor, won’t you please tell those... men... to surface?”

I sink back into one of the chairs, feeling dizzy. I had mailed letters to Grandfather explaining what I was doing. He had always encouraged me to go on expeditions, always smiling, always asking me to bring him back lots of sketches. The last time I saw him, his library had many of them framed-- from my childhood scrawlings to the originals of my squid diagrams.

The thought of him worrying so much that he’d send Conseil makes my chest hurt.

“Mm-hmm! Noooooo problem!” Nemo gives a thumbs up again, darting it out of Barbicane’s way.

“Hey-- what happened to you being super-paranoid? This heel-faced turn stuff is giving me a headache!”

But Nemo is already getting the ship to surface.

“Impeeeeeey Barbicane... that boy has gone through an incredible journey to be reunited with his master. It plays at my heart like a syyyyymphonyyyy!”

Cardia’s eyes widen as though she remembers something. She looks at Nemo with a surprisingly sympathetic expression before turning to Barbicane. “Impey, I think we’ll be okay.”

Barbicane looks down at her earnest face, and I can practically hear his guard being broken down by her reassuring smile.

“Cardia-chan... your expression is so resolute... my angel! Of course I’ll put my faith in you!”

When the Harper surfaces, all of us stare out the portholes in awe.

There’s a... ship. An airship. No, that’s not quite right. It has the blimp of an airship but its base is certainly a seafaring vessel.

“Woah, I’ve never seen a long-distance one like that before...” Barbicane’s jaw is slack. “How many engines do you think it’s gotta have to function in the air and on the water?! That’s so cool...!”

“What is it?” asks Cardia.

“They’re called mareships,” says Barbicane. “They’re usually novelties that the rich use to show off. They were really in fashion back when Steel London was first built, but the Thames became so congested that... you really don’t see them anymore.”

“This one looks like a custom jooooob...!” Nemo’s practically bouncing with excitement. “The craftsmanship is superb! Maaaaaaaaaaaaarvelous! What a beauty...!!”

I wish I could share their excitement. Between my grandfather being mentioned, Barbicane’s anxiety, and Conseil’s appearance... I just can’t appreciate the spectacle in front of me.

\-----

As soon as I board the mareship, Conseil clasps my hands in his.

“Professor...!” There are tears brimming in his eyes. “Professor, it really is you...!”

I give him a hug, patting him reassuringly on the back. “Yes, it’s me. You really didn’t need to worry about me.”

“How could I not?” Conseil looks around to spy Barbicane and Nemo flitting about the deck like hyperactive birds, Cardia trying to follow along with little luck. “Professor, it’s gotten bad in Paris.”

“Bad?” my eyes widen.

Conseil closes his eyes and nods. “The tabloids... Professor, the absolute filth that they’ve been spreading! I’ll never forgive that thief for putting those unfounded rumors in their ears!”

I laugh lightly. “I know, Lupin told me about them.”

“But have you seen them?”

I look at Conseil curiously as he pulls a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and hands it to me.

It’s a newspaper clipping:

‘BRIDE OF SCIENCE-- a mad love story or the beginnings of a scientific revolution?’

“At least this one seems to mention my research. I’ll admit that it’s a little disturbing, Conseil, but they’re a necessary evil if we mean to sway the public’s opinion... and Victoria’s.”

Conseil narrows his eyes. “Sway? They’re causing chaos! The university is in an uproar! They’ve publicly denounced both you and your work!”

There’s that sick feeling again. I had worked so hard to become a part of the university.

But, I had left there, hadn’t I?

I swallow.

“Denouncing my work... everything that I worked so hard for... all the time I spent at that place...”

This time, it’s Conseil who hugs me.

“I’m so sorry, Professor... I should have tried harder to stop you. I had no idea what these madmen were capable of!”

Madmen...

The Count and his friends at his mansion.

Cardia, the light of their eyes and mine.

Finis, the boy who somehow showed the greatest love of them all.

Smith, looking for someone to believe in as she searches for her truth.

Fogg, ready to take on any challenge with a level head.

Aouda, seeking to heal old wounds while enjoying her new life.

Barbicane, the one who taught me that science fuels all of our dreams.

And Nemo, reborn in the flames of science with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. The one I adore with all my soul.

I pull away from Conseil.

“I had no idea what they were capable of either, Conseil,” I say. I pause to smile at him. “What they’ve done for me is absolutely wonderful!”

Conseil’s expression is blank, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

“No, I mean it! I really do, Conseil!” I take his hand, my smile widening. “I haven’t felt this excited in years! Even if there are bumps along the way, even if people don’t understand... I still have too much to give the world. With each challenge that the world gives me, I know more and more just how important my dream is!”

Conseil takes a step back. “D... Do you really feel that way, Professor?”

I put a hand to my chest and think about it. These feelings that have been bursting from my chest... yes, sadness has been there, but also hope. So much hope.

“I do! And Conseil, I’m not alone either!” I put my hands on his shoulders, and his face flushes with surprise. “I have you, my greatest friend and the most capable assistant anyone could ask for!”

I gesture to the others I’m with. “And my contemporaries! Oh wow, you wouldn’t even believe the stories I’ve heard! Racing around the world in eighty days, turning a deserted island into a paradise of science, proving to the world that you have a soul, preparing to be the first man to walk on the moon--”

“HECK YEAH I AM!” Barbicane interrupts me from across the deck with an energetic peace sign and a wink.

“Conseil, if society considers these people madmen... I’d be honored if they would add me to their number!”

Conseil looks down at the deck and furrows his eyebrows as though he’s in deep thought.

Then he looks up at me with a smile, tears brimming in his eyes.

I quickly fumble for my handkerchief, cursing when I realize I must have left it in the salon of the Harper.

Conseil shakes his head and wipes his eyes with his own kerchief. “I’m happy for you, Professor. It seems like you truly love these people.”

“I do, I love them all,” I say with a smile as I look out over the deck. “Come on, you didn’t really get a proper introduction last time.”

“A proper introduction... to whom?” asks Conseil.

I take Conseil’s hand and walk him over to the others. Barbicane and Nemo are squawking about the ship at a level I can’t even begin to comprehend, but Cardia looks at us with a smile.

“Everyone, you remember Conseil, right?” I put my hand on his shoulder. “He’s quite the field researcher! Name any animal and he can give all kinds of information on it.”

Conseil’s cheeks redden. “You exaggerate, professor...”

“Hmmm~” Nemo bends down to get a closer look at him, and Conseil instinctively takes a step back, bristling. “Moooodesty will only get you so far, my friend! You shouldn’t take compliments given by those you admire so liiiightly.”

“Nemo...” Conseil narrows his eyes. “I didn’t think I would be meeting you without bars between us.”

I feel the hairs on the back of my neck rising from the emotions flowing from them.

Conseil straightens up and stares at Nemo’s goggles, seeking out eye contact. “Modesty is something that a man can freely be proud of. It can only lead to piety and humility instead of self-absorption.”

“Auuuuuuuuuuuuuu contraire, mon petit chou! Some of the most self-absorbed men I’ve seen will booooooooooow with a smile and deny their greatness!” Nemo strikes a pose and laughs.

“That’s amusing,” Conseil’s voice has no humor in it. “Some of the most self-absorbed men I’ve seen prance about like peacocks braying for attention.”

In all honesty, I don’t know what to do. Conseil’s insults are papercuts, so shallow that they’re hardly considered wounds-- but they sting so badly. I’m just grateful that Nemo either didn’t register it or is ignoring it.

Still, I can’t let the two of them fight. These two mean so much to me. Why would they even fight? It makes no sense!

I step in-between them, smiling calmly.

“Please, you two. If you must debate something, why not make it something fun? You’re both scientists, aren’t you?”

Nemo shrugs. “I was juuuuuuuust trying to give some advice~”

“Aha, ah, I’m afraid Conseil’s never taken lightly to advice,” I say.

“Unless it’s from someone I respect,” Conseil’s voice is still low, but when he looks at me his expression brightens. “Like you, professor.”

“His devotion is admiraaaaaable~” Nemo drawls, and I straighten when I feel him snake a hand around my waist. “But he really does need to learn when to pick his battles, don’t you thiiiiiiiink? He simply can’t tell friend from foe!”

I look up at Nemo as he pulls me to his hip.

“After aaaaaaaaaall, we both treasure the same professor, don’t we?”

I hadn’t planned on telling Conseil about my relationship with Nemo so soon, but I don’t really have a choice as Nemo leans down and kisses my forehead.

Conseil’s eyes widen, but before he really react Barbicane puts an arm around Nemo.

“Hey, Nemo! I found one of the mechanisms that help this thing convert to an airship! It’s pretty cool, you should really take a look!”

“Hrrmm?” Nemo blinks up at Barbicane.

“And, uh-- Conseil, buddy, it’s been awhile! I was hoping you could do me a favor and introduce me to the captain of this thing. It’s soooooo cool!”

I nod to Conseil, and he gives me a silent nod.

Barbicane is sweating profusely, but his words have their intended effect and the two men walk away.

I let out a deep sigh as Nemo prances to one of the masts where Cardia is standing and Conseil disappears below deck.

“I don’t understand...” I murmur. “I was hoping Conseil would be happy for me..”

“Polly-chan,” Barbicane is staring at me. “You really don’t get it, do you? This whole time... you still haven’t figured it out?”

“Figured what out?”

“Conseil’s in love with you!”


	31. The Professor's Knight

“.....”

I look up at Barbicane as his words ring out over the deck.

Then, my mouth twitches and I burst into laughter. “What?!”

“You don’t see it?” Barbicane rubs the back of his head, watching me worriedly as I hold my sides from laughing so hard. “I mean, look at the guy! He’s had a jealousy complex with Nemo ever since he found out about this voyage. That’s why the two of them were puffed up and ready to get into a face-off!!”

“I think... Nemo might be living vicariously through Conseil...” it’s Cardia who speaks up.

“Huh?” Barbicane looks down at Cardia blankly.

“It’s hard to explain,” says Cardia. “But... Conseil might remind him of the time he spent as my father’s apprentice.”

“Professor Isaac Beckford...” I say the name we’re all thinking. “Nemo wanted to research science with him again no matter what. ... I think he really did consider him to be a father.”

Cardia shifts, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation is taking.

"It’s just an idea,” says Cardia. “I had to spend a lot of time listening to him on the Nautilus... most of it didn’t make any sense, but...”

Barbicane and I quickly look up at one another and nod, deciding to take the subject away from Isaac Beckford.

“Soooo... seeing Conseil reunite with Polly-chan makes him happy, right?” asks Barbicane.

“But that still doesn’t explain why Conseil is being so rude. He’s usually a very quiet and docile man,” I sigh and cross my arms. “I really wish that he would calm down, but it’s like he sees red whenever he encounters Nemo.”

“Ah! My presence invokes passion even when I’m faaaaaaar from sight!”

We look over at the scientist as he happily sways over.

“Passion? That has nothing to do with what we’re talking about!”

“Impeeeeeeeey---!” Nemo quickly interrupts Barbicane. “The machinery on this creation is GOOOOOOR-GEEOOOUUS! It far outranks those toys that would clog up the Thames. Hmmm, I simply muuuuuuuuuuuust meet its creator!”

“.... And the serious conversation that he walked in on completely flies over his head,” Cardia whispers.

“Mrph? You weren’t talking about science....?”

“... Uh... I don’t think getting this genius’ input would help much,” Barbicane says with a sigh before he pats Nemo on the shoulder. “Let’s just go find us a mareship captain.”

“Yeah! You called?”

We look over to see a broad-shouldered man lope up the stairs. Despite his untamed appearance, the most notable thing about him is the harpoon slung across his back.

We might drift through the serenity of the deep, but this man looks like the type to ride the crest of every rampant wave. He is a true sailor!

He looks over us before nodding with a big smile. “You look just like my little friend described! Name’s Ned Land. If you’re lookin’ for the captain of this lovely, he’s standing right here!”

As if to emphasize his words, he shrugs the harpoon off of his back and thumps it into the ground beside him.

“Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrvelooous!” Nemo shrieks so hard that his voice breaks. “You must tell me aaaaaaaaall about this beauty! The aesthetic, the shape, the SHEEEEEEER POOOWEERR in its movements! Ahhh!” He leans back, putting a hand to his forehead as he reels in delight.

Ned looks up at his ship, having surprisingly little reaction to Nemo’s voice. Perhaps Conseil had warned him.

“Yeah, she’s a beauty,” said Ned. “Couldn’t tell you much more than that. I can pilot her, all right, but I didn’t build her. I can get the whatchamacallits running and the doohickeys pumping, though!”

Both Nemo and Barbicane look like someone told them that Science Santa isn’t real.

“You gotta be kiddin’ me... it’s a joke, right?” Barbicane laughs nervously. “There’s no way you got all the way out into the middle of the ocean without even knowing basic parts...”

“Oh, I know ‘em,” said Ned. “It’s just hard to remember all that stuff, so I call them things like thingamabobs.”

"............”

Nemo is staring blankly ahead, his jaw dropped.

“..... I think he broke Nemo...” Cardia whispers.

“O-Okay, then...” Barbicane laughs awkwardly as he slinks back towards Cardia and me. “Uh, your ship has very nice... thingamajigs.”

My eyes, however, are on his harpoon.

“Are you a whaler?” I ask him.

“Hm? Oh!” Ned looks over at the harpoon before patting it affectionately. “I was once. They called me the ‘Prince of Harpooners’!”

He thumps a hand to his chest before shrugging. “But, neosteam engines kind of put me out of business. You don’t have to pay men to go out on the sea to collect steam!” He gives a hearty, barrel-chested laugh.”

“Uh... that’s... that’s rough...” says Barbicane.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Hey, why don’t you all stay here for dinner? I’ve been fixing up something nice. Not white tablecloth-level or anything, but not bad considering how long we’ve been out here. Man... what I wouldn’t give for a good steak...”

His stomach rumbles.

“I don’t see why not,” I say. “The Harper is tethered and I think we could all go for a little stretching. What do you say, Ne..mo...?”

Nemo’s still staring in Ned’s direction with a slack jaw. I can’t even hear him breathing.

“Nemo...?” I walk over to him and gently tap him on the shoulder.

“HEY! GENIUS SCIENTIST!” Barbicane yells.

At that, Nemo jolts as though he’s been hit by a bolt of lightning. He looks around for a moment before focusing on Ned.

“THIIIIIIIINGAAAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOOOBS?!” he shrieks. “DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHICKEYS?!”

Cardia, Barbicane, and I clamp our hands over our ears. Ned is the only one unaffected, standing there smiling as the ship around him rattles.

Even Conseil dashes up the stairs, clinging to the railing and looking at us with wide eyes. “My god! What happened?!”

“Nothin’, sweetheart, just getting ready to come to dinner,” Ned looks over his shoulder with a wink.

Conseil’s face reddens as he shakes his head.

\-----

Conseil has set up a nice dining area with a long table and two chairs. The rest of the seating comes from barrels and boxes that he’s done his best to arrange neatly. Our meal is meager, consisting mostly of salt pork and peas. I feel bad for imposing, but Ned just shakes his head.

“We’ll call it even if you give me a kiss, professor!” he taps his cheek and grins, bursting into laughter when I stutter and shake my head.

“Ned, my friend, be polite!” Conseil says with a scoff as he thumps a plate down. “You’re addressing a lady!”

“Aw, she looks seaworthy to me,” says Ned. “You’ve had lots of experience out on the water by now, haven’t you, professor?”

I stutter again and go rigid when Nemo playfully nudges me with his knee.

Soon all of us are seated at the table and cutting into our dinners.

Barbicane and Nemo exchange glances and nod before quickly trading their portions of pork and peas.

When Ned and Conseil stare at them, Nemo just points to himself and smiles, “I’m aboooooove eating vile beasts that wallow in filth!”

Conseil looks tempted to say something, but instead he decides to silently watch Nemo lift a fork to his lips.

“Hmmm...?” Nemo pauses at the flavor. He glances in Conseil’s direction before turning his head and spitting into his napkin.

“Impey.” His voice is quick and sharp, which surprises Barbicane into dropping his fork. “Let me have a taste of your meal, won’t you?”

“Huh? But I thought--” Barbicane just watches as Nemo reaches over and stabs a loaf of Barbicane’s salt pork. He takes a bite and scrunches his nose before doing the same thing he did with the peas.

“Cardia-chaaaaan~?”

I’m not sure why he bothered asking permission, because Nemo snatches Cardia’s fork from her hand and puts it in his mouth. He makes the same disgusted expression before switching napkins with Barbicane (which makes the other man gag).

Conseil is visibly bristling by this point. “Is something the matter with our cooking?”

But Nemo ignores him and rests his chin on his hand, looking at me. “Pauline... darling... won’t you give me a bite?”

I prepare for him to reach over and steal my dinner like he did with the others, but instead he opens his mouth and says “Aaahhn~”

“N-Nemo...” I nervously look around the table.

Barbicane narrows his eyes and nods. “I’d humor him this time, Polly-chan.”

I nod, not daring to make eye contact with the others as I put a forkful of peas in Nemo’s mouth. He smiles lazily and swallows before licking his lips.

“Thank yooooou~” he smiles contentedly before looking at our hosts.

“Weeeell! I must admit that was exciting! Three poisoned dinners and one untouched, whaaaaat is the conclusion one could gather from that? My... if you waaaaaaaaanted some alone time with the professor, you could have just aaaasked!” Nemo says with a hollow laugh.

Conseil’s face pales. “W-What are you talking about?”

“I suppoooooose the fact that it isn’t a deadly poision plays in your favor, but if Impeeeeey Barbicane, Cardia-chaaaan, or myself had eaten this stuff, we would have been sound asleep before we could clear our plate! That’s pretty damning evidence, Aronnax’s assistant....”

Barbicane quickly takes a bite of his pork and nods before disposing of it. “You’re right. It tastes off.”

“You might be a chef, but I’m a cheeeeeemist! I must admit, I’ve only used it in its gaseous state or by injection, but with the amount you’ve peppered our dinners with, it would have been quiiiiiiite effective!”

I remember the syringe that Nemo had injected into me and look down at my plate with a gnawing anxiety.

“Ohhhh, don’t worry, dear professor, your food wasn’t touched~” Nemo idly takes a pea from my plate and pops it in his mouth.

“Told you it wouldn’t work, sweetheart,” says Ned. “Oh well, no point in hiding anymore, huh?”

“Ned, wait--!” but Conseil’s pleas don’t stop Ned, who slams his harpoon into the table, crushing it under the mighty weight.

Immediately, Barbicane pushes Cardia back and steps in front of her, keeping her away from harm. Nemo has fallen backwards and is sprawled out on the ground, and I sit, staring in confusion at my dearest friend.

“Conseil...?” his name suddenly sounds foreign to me.

“Oh, Ned, my friend...” Conseil sighs. As he looks at me, his face contorts in sadness. Then, he sets his jaw. “Remember our deal. The professor is to be unharmed. Stop the others. Make sure they never bother my professor again... especially that madman.”

“So you want the little lost prince dead,” Ned smiles slowly. “Got it, sweetheart.”

“I never said that,” Conseil crosses his arms. “I told you, I want to see him rot in prison for the rest of a long, long life. You’ll get the bounty either way, won’t you?”

By this time Ned has hoisted his harpoon out of the table and into the air again. “We’ll see if I can hold back-- I never let my quarry get away! Say goodnight, little prince!”

But before Ned can lunge at Nemo, Barbicane slams into him with all the force of a battering ram. Ned drops the harpoon and stumbles, thumping hard into the wall.

“Okay, that was creepy as hell,” says Barbicane as he rubs his shoulder. “Hey, Conseil! You’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do! Huh?”

But Conseil has already begun approaching me, smiling worriedly.

“That must have been quite a shock, professor,” he says. “Ned is a little excitable, I’m afraid. I’m... sure you can sympathize.”

Conseil frowns.

“But the difference between the two of us is that I know my limits,” he continues. “You’ve always barreled on, like you’re certain of your immortality. You need someone to hold you back from jumping into the abyss. You’ve always courted death in some way or another, and I was always there to protect you.”

“You tried to kill him...” my voice is tight, it’s hard to breathe. I can feel shock settling in and giving way to hyperventilation.

“I really am sorry. I promise I won’t let Ned kill him. I just want to keep him away from you, professor.”

“Polly-chan!” Barbicane tries to move towards me, but Ned is up again and thrusts his harpoon towards him. Barbicane would have been injured had Cardia not slammed her chair into his skull.

I take a step away from Conseil, my body shaking.

“You really don’t realize it yet, but I’m doing this for you,” he says. “Nothing good has happened since you left the University. Misery has followed you everywhere since you met him! Do you really want to throw your life’s work away for some man?”

“I’m not throwing away any of my work...” my voice sounds so far away. “I’m trying to d-discover... better... bigger things... I... Conseil...”

“Shhh, it’s all right, professor. You’re safe now. I won’t let him hurt you ever again.”

Conseil begins to reach for me, but suddenly he falls with a yell.

Nemo takes a ragged breath and climbs on Conseil, digging his knee into his back.

“Come on, Nemo, let’s get out of here!” Barbicane yells.

“Don’t you know... don’t you know how daaaaaaaaaangerous little white knight fantasies are if you aren’t willing to go all the waaaaaaaaaaaaay? You really do make a better assistant than savior!”

I put my hands over my ears and squeeze my eyes shut, willing away the vision in front of me. These two men mean the world to me, and seeing both of them hurt like this-- I can’t hold back my tears anymore.

But I can still hear Nemo taunting Conseil.

“If you want to rescue your pretty professor from the big bad scientist, go ahead and come at me! But next time... you had better be ready to kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill meeeeeeee!”

There’s a blast, and thick black smoke fills the room. It fills my lungs and burns my eyes, and I cough and sputter, stumbling in confusion.

But then I feel fabric against my nose and mouth.

... It smells like lavender.

“HEY!” Barbicane coughs loudly. “I can’t carry the three of you! Nemo, get her over here!”

Nemo presses the fabric to me and I take it moments before I get picked up like a sack of potatoes by what I’m assuming is Barbicane.

“PROFESSOR!” I hear Conseil’s frantic voice above the commotion. “Ned, get them!”

My vision clears as Barbicane runs onto the deck, and I see Cardia being carried under his other arm. Behind us I can hear Nemo screaming as he runs.

As Barbicane leaps over the side of the ship, I can’t help but contemplate how it doesn’t feel like I’m actually there. I feel like a part of me was left below deck, with Conseil and Ned Land. Or perhaps that part of me is locked behind a thick fog of disassociation. Either way, it’s a horrible feeling, even more horrible than splashing into the sea.

My mind begins to swirl from the shock of the cold water, and all I can hear is the bottomless roar of the water and the screaming of the people I love. I can barely hold onto the ladder as Barbicane pushes me up the side of the submarine, and Nemo almost falls through the hatch when he tries to lower my dead weight into the Harper.

Once inside, I hobble forward a few steps before my knees buckle and I slump down against the door to the bunks. Shock bursts through my exhausted body until I’m nothing but a shivering mess.


	32. Safety, Sanity, and Science

When I come to, I see the ceiling of the Harper above me.

My heart begins to race. Sensing panic, I take slow, deep breaths from my diaphragm as I examine my situation:

I’ve been changed out of my wet clothes and laid out on the chaise lounge, my head propped up on a pillow taken from one of the bunks.

I’m safe. I am safe.

I sigh and begin to think of happy things to calm me down. Of the future that is waiting for me after all of this is over.

Maybe when we all go back to London we can have a party. Barbicane will do the cooking, of course. Finis might be picky but I think he would do well with the decorations, as long as Cardia is there to stop his fussing. Smith will bring Top, I do hope that he gets along with Sisi. Nemo will... well, I’m sure he’ll offer everyone moral support. Aouda will probably be very amused by his antics. Conseil will manage everything... just like he always does...

My attempts to distract myself fail when I think of Conseil, and my vision blurs.

‘You’ve always courted death in some way or another, and I was always there to protect you.’

Is that what he saw himself as this whole time? My protector? My guardian?

So now... he thinks that he has to rescue me? Save me from, what, Nemo?! If only he would listen, if only he would try to see what I see! Nemo’s not my captor, he is my co-conspirator!

But beyond that-- shouldn’t Conseil, the man who’s been my associate for almost ten years, know above all others that I don’t need a protector? And if, for some reason, I suddenly wanted one... didn’t he think I’d say something?

It’s almost like...

Cold dread fills my stomach as a thought settles in my head: Conseil doesn’t trust me.

All this time... he’s never trusted me at all.

I take in a deep, shuddering breath and roll over, staring out the porthole to distract myself once again.

I could live with this truth. It would hurt, it would hurt so much but in the end I would be able to move past it.

But he tried to kill Nemo!

And Nemo, my excitable, dramatic Nemo-- had encouraged him!

‘If you want to rescue your pretty professor from the big bad scientist, go ahead and come at me!’

If Conseil takes that challenge, if he goes after Nemo again, and...!

I bury my head in my pillow to muffle my sobbing. My chest is aching, my shoulders are trembling, I’m such a mess... and it hurts so badly!

But then, I hear footsteps quickly running towards the salon...

Oh no.

There’s a loud thump at the door, followed by a high-pitched scream.

“Nemo!” I leap up and run over to the door, pulling it open.

Nemo’s clutching his foot and gritting his teeth, letting out an anguished, “NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGH----!!!”

He looks over at me with tears brimming at the edges of his goggles. “Thaaat... that waaaaasn’t what I had plaaaaanned....”

He straightens up suddenly, “HOLD ON!”

Nemo closes the door again.

There’s a pause before he suddenly pushes it open, standing triumphantly in the doorway like I hadn’t just seen him injure himself while apparently trying to kick down a watertight door.

Nemo still stands there, his hands on his hips and a wide grin on his face.

He looks... so incredibly proud of himself.

For a moment, just a quick, beautiful moment I can forget my worries and give him a smile.

Then I remember how pathetic I must look and quickly begin searching for my handkerchief. “Sorry, please excuse me. I’m sure you and the others must have many questions about that ordeal--”

“Quiet!”

His order is loud and sharp, and I’m stunned into silence, my kerchief falling to the floor.

Nemo cups my face in his hands and peers down at me as though he’s inspecting me. I can’t look at him, I can’t breathe. My skin is already red from crying so hard, but it flushes even further from the shame seeping into my stomach.

“Close your eyes for me, okay~?”

Numb from humiliiation and not sure what else to do, I obey him -- even if the act does force fresh tears to roll down my cheeks.

I can feel Nemo’s breath on my skin, and then his lips touch my eyelashes.

He’s... he’s kissing my tears away. Literally.

Nemo moves from one eyelid to the other, doing that same motion, slow and sweet.

My skin must feel disgusting... hot and sweaty and red... but he’s still holding me as though I’m a great treasure.

God... god, god, gods upon gods-- right now I feel so beautiful!

It goes against all logic, really, just how safe I feel. Nemo’s grip is warm and comforting, and my worries begin to melt away into oblivion. Can’t we forget about the outside world and just stay like this? Deep under the sea, where no one else can find us, where I can ignore the anguish and responsibilities and all the madness of the world above us. If only I were cowardly enough to suggest it!

Finally, I open up my eyes and look at him.

Nemo looks so expectant, like a puppy waiting to be told that he’s a good boy.

I want to thank him, to tell him how cool he was just then, but... the memory of him taunting Conseil with no regard for his own safety is too fresh in my mind.

“Nemo...” my voice begins to tremble as my eyes water again. “You could have died! Why did you challenge Conseil like that?!”

Nemo tilts his head, as if he doesn’t understand why I’m upset.

“Were you worried about your assistant...? I didn’t hurt him.........”

He sounds so disappointed that it makes my heart ache.

“I was worried about YOU, Nemo! There’s a difference between a dangerous experiment and telling someone to kill you! There’s a difference between ‘memento mori’ and suicide!”

I close my eyes and breathe deeply, trying to organize my thoughts. How can I make him understand? How can I get through to him with something so important?

I forcefully yell with a power I didn’t know I had: “Even if you don’t cherish your life, I do! I love you! The thought of you throwing your life away is so, so sad! So please... I’m begging you...!”

I throw my arms around his neck, ignoring his surprised squawk as I sob into his chest.

Nemo’s rigid, like I had just dealt him a blow. I don’t know if he was offended by what I said, but I couldn’t help it. The thought of him dying was just too much for me.

Nemo struggles to swallow, and I can feel his heart begin to race under my cheek.

...“Po....Polly-chaaan...” Nemo finally manages to stutter. “You were... you were worried about... meeeeee...?”

Out of all the passionate words that flew out of my mouth, one sentence made it through to him. One sentence sifted through his mind and made it to his heart.

That was all I needed.

"Yes, Nemo...” my voice is hoarse. “Yes... I was worried about you.”

He sniffs loudly.

“R-Reeeeallly...?! H...hhhkk---!!”

I thought I had been crying loudly, but when Nemo bursts into tears the pipe organ hums with the vibration.

We must look like quite a sight, both of us clinging to each other and crying into each other’s shoulders. It seems like every time one of us moves to try to stroke the other’s hair or touch their cheek or provide some sort of comfort, we dissolve into more tears.

Finally, Nemo half-drags me across the room and lays down on the lounge, pulling me to him so we can tangle our limbs together like we did all those nights on Lincoln Island-- before all of this, before we even told each other how we felt.

Nemo’s still alive. He’s safe, here in my arms where I won’t let anyone hurt him. Not Victoria, not Aleister, not even Conseil!

We look like a pair of ragdolls with our limbs hanging off the edges of the lounge. We’re splayed out in all directions, but our heartbeats are pounding against each other-- and in the end, that’s all we really need as we lay there and cry into each other.

I finally calm down enough to look up at him, and I can see the wavering reflections of the water dancing across the ceiling behind him.

“S-Sorry...” I take in a deep, shuddering breath. “I really didn’t mean to lose control like that.”

Nemo shakes his head. “I wouldn’t miiiiiiiiiind if you lost control more often.”

I lean up and kiss his reddened cheeks. “You know... you were pretty cool when you kissed me back there.”

It’s nice to hear him giggle again, and I settle down against his chest and look out the port window.

“Conseil and I had worked together for so long...” I say. “I never would have thought he was capable of this. Nemo, I’m sorry.”

Nemo leans his head back at hums. “Whyyyyyyyyyy are you apologizing? Last I checked, you weren’t the one who tried to stab me with a harpoon.”

I shudder, and he quickly rubs my back, settling me back down again. It’s remarkable how someone who is hardly calm himself can be so good at soothing my anxiety.

“I don’t know what Conseil is thinking,” I say. “We’ve been through so much together. I relied on him, and he relied on me. We were a dynamic duo making great discoveries! But... I thought he trusted me...”

I glance up at Nemo and sigh. “I’m about to ask a very foolish question.”

“Fwee hee hee hee~! If nobody thought to ask foolish questions, the world wouldn’t have as maaaaaany answers as it does!”

I nod along even though I have no idea what he means.

“You talk a lot about the path of science,” I say. “... Conseil seems to think that I’ve strayed from this path. That I’ve given it all up. ... Could he be right?”

“HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!?!?!” The porthole rattles from the might of Nemo’s exclamation. “You are flying on the wings of progressioooooon! Your heart beats as one with the glory of biological sciences! Is there aaaaany motivation so pure, so precious?! How dare he?! HOOOOW DAAAAARE HEEEEE?! How dare he plant the seeds of doubt in your beautiful mind?! What a rotten assistant! Aaaah... aaaaaaaaaah.......”

He dramatically puts a hand to his forehead and groans.

“How fortunate you are to have me, the greaaaaaaaaaaatest Acolyte of Science, to reassure you of your ardent devotion!”

I narrow my eyes, doubt still gnawing at me. “But... well...”

Nemo furrows his eyebrows. He must be frustrated that his loud exclamation wasn’t enough to reassure me.

“Nemo, say... say Isaac suddenly decided to drop all of his work and disappear on you? Wouldn’t you be suspicious?”

Nemo stares. He stares for a long, long time.

“You mean liiiiiiiiiiiike.... if he suddenly destroyed his physical body and uploaded his conscious to an armillary sphere, leaving no trace of his plans or location for his loyal apprentice?”

“................. Ah.”

There’s really no recovery from that one. I decide to back down with as much grace as I can and rest my cheek on Nemo’s chest.  
There are still so many thoughts racing through my mind, but I don’t have to ask them right now.

Nemo props himself up and pats me on the head. “Alllllllllllll--- right! Impey Barbicaaaaane’s really dragging. If I don’t relieve him, who knows what will happen? The fellow looks half-starved!”

Nemo’s stomach growls underneath me, and I have to bury my head in his sweater to hide my laughter. “Right, better make sure that Barbicane gets fed.”

I crawl off of him and sit up, fishing for my glasses. As I put them on, Nemo swings his legs over the lounge with a dramatic flourish.

“Nemo?” I look over at him.

If Cardia and Barbicane heard what I was about to say, they would surely question my sanity.

But I don’t mind. They can think I’m crazy all they want, but denying what I’ve been feeling would be willfully ignoring evidence. I just can’t do that.

Besides, one of them wants to go to the moon. He can’t really judge.

“I just wanted you to know... I feel really safe around you.”

“Eh?”

“When you hold me, I feel very warm and secure. ....I’ve just been observing that lately. I don’t know, I guess I thought you might want to hear it.”

The silence of the room is shattered by Nemo leaping up and throwing his goggles victoriously in the air like a graduation cap. “IIIIIIIIT WOOOOOOOOOORRKED!!!”

I look at him with a stunned expression. “P-Pardon me?”

(Somehow, the goggles land safely on the chaise lounge.)

Nemo takes my hands and stands me up before hugging me tightly.

“Describe to me-- tell me exactly how you feel!”

My voice is muffled, “I thought I just told you. I feel safe... and warm...well, actually, I’m a little concerned now but--”

“Right, RIIIIGHT! EXAAACTLY! Now, now remember-- back when we first met, you told me a cuuuuuuurious fact about how you use SCIENCE to combat those nasty little chemicals in your brain that cause anxiety. Hmm? HMMM? Do you remembeeeeer?!”

It wasn’t exactly like that, but...

“Lavender oil,” I say.

He grins.

“Just a little con-di-tion-ing I decided to try!” he laughs. “You would use the scent of lavender to calm your harried mind and lull you into a feeling of security. THEEEEEEREFORE, I began to wear that same essential oil! Naaaaaaaaaturally, your mind, which has always associated ‘lavender’ with ‘security’, would quickly come to make that same association with me, the genius scientist NEEEEEEEEEMOOOOOOOOOOOOO---!!”

It feels like I’m running his speech through a translator, but even if he tried to frame it as a science experiment, the meaning was the same: he wanted me to feel safe around him.

I’m not entirely sure that aromatherapy alone could twist my mind into feeling safe around Nemo, but I can’t help but feel that this experiment of his was rather sweet.

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek, and his smile widens.

“Oh-hooo! It’s just like I thought, iiiisn’t it? Yes--!”

He pushes me back and grips my chin, lifting it so I am staring into his eyes and his wide, wide grin.

“I woooonder how far these results will go? What sorts of things can I do to you now that you’re lulled into the arms of science...?”

I begin to get a chill from his deranged smile, but the moment ends rather anticlimactically with Nemo’s stomach growling again.

...........................

“You’d better go get Barbicane...”

“R-Riiiight...”

Nemo puts his goggles back on with a dejected sigh and slumps towards the bunks.

“Byyyyyy the way.........” he turns to look back at me. “Here’s an interesting difference between a young assistant and a young apprentice. The young apprentice might ask: ‘Seeeensei, whyyyy did you disappear? Why did you leave me?’ And he would surely say, ‘it’s all for sciiiiience’s sake!’”

That’s true... no matter his underlying reasons, Cardia had made it clear that “Code: Realize” was to advance science.

“So, did the young assistant ask his master that? ‘Profeeeeessor, why did you leave me?’”

I shake my head.

“Such a shaaaame...” Nemo sighs. “Then, I suppose I’ll have to be the one to hear the answer, woooon’t I? Professor, why did you leave London and sail away~?”

I smile at him. “It’s all for science’s sake.”

He looks at me confidently, and I realize that I’m not worried anymore.

No matter what Conseil thinks, Nemo and I know he’s wrong.


	33. Cardia Beckford, I Love You!

“Okay! Now it’s finally time for you all to sample Impey Barbicane’s famous rice flummery!”

He sets the plates down in front of Cardia and myself with a proud flourish.

“You actually managed to make flummery on board!” I exclaim. “I’m surprised the ship’s movements didn’t affect it.”

“I’m pretty sure that Impey could make anything if he really set his mind to it,” says Cardia.

Barbicane grips his chest and staggers. “C-Cardia-chan, my angel, your praise alone gives me the energy I need to make anything! You are the fuel that fires my genius!”

Cardia slowly looks over at him as she takes a bite of her dessert. “I said ‘if you really set your mind to it’. You get a little distracted at times.”

Barbicane’s grip on his chest tightens. “Ow... that smarts. You should know that I never let anything distract me from my cooking!”

I glance over at the griddle. “The mushroom pudding is boiling over.”

“Yikes!” Impey slides over to rescue the dish.

Cooking on the Harper has been nothing short of an adventure in itself. Barbicane wasn’t happy with the dimensions we had given him, and it had taken a long time to rework the galley into something he could work in. Well, ‘work’ might be an exaggeration. It’s more like a feat of acrobatics.

But Cardia was right-- Barbicane always surprises us with amazing dishes, both vegetarian and omnivorous. However, dessert had been something he hadn’t been able to really show his skills with, but he promised us something fantastic after what we had to go through on the mareship.

Flummery is very popular in the British Empire, and I always tried to sample it whenever I crossed the Channel. Tasting it made the trip feel ‘real’, in a way. Like, now I’ve really been to England.

Barbicane’s is spectacular. The rice adds a hearty texture that settles nicely in my stomach, and taking a bite of the accompanying strawberry jam makes the flavors sing. He might brag about being an engineer, but Barbicane is also an artist!

“Okay, it’s still good! Whew!” Barbicane gingerly holds the dish. “Alright, Polly-chan, I’ll leave Nemo’s feeding in your capable hands!”

“Actually, I was hoping I could talk with her for a little bit.” Cardia’s voice stops me from rising to my feet.

“Wha... but you don’t want to have a romantic dinner with me?” Barbicane pouts.

“... I think this place is a little cramped to be called ‘romantic’, Impey,” she continues.

I want to tell Cardia that there can be nothing in the world as romantic as sharing time with someone in liquid space, with nature’s mystery all around you, but I really don’t want to give any more fuel to Barbicane’s protests.

I decide to silence myself by taking another bite of the flummery.

“So... I gotta have my dinner with Nemo...?” Barbicane sighs.

“He’s not a piranha, Barbicane, I promise he won’t bite you,” I shoot him a glare.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, looks like he’d rather sink his teeth into French cuties, anyway,” Barbicane parries my glare with a grin that shoots through my defenses and makes me choke on my dessert.

Barbicane looks way too pleased with himself as he makes his way to the bridge, and he’s gone before I can gather myself enough to shoot a retort. Impey Barbicane: 1, Pauline Aronnax: 0.

It looks like the real victim of this dinnertime battle was Cardia, though. She’s staring intently at her plate as though she’s trying to think of anything other than what Barbicane had just said.

I decide that bringing up any other subject would be beneficial for both of us. “You wanted to speak with me, Cardia?”

Cardia nods, prodding the flummery with her fork. “How did Nemo tell you that he loved you?”

Clearly I need to stop trying to eat, because I almost choke again.

I look at Cardia, examining her expression. She looks a little sad, to be honest.

She has been waiting for Barbicane for an awfully long time. I suppose it’s only natural.

“It was... strange...” I confess.

Cardia nods. “I kind of figured.”

“No, not in the usual way,” I say. “Both of us knew that we loved each other before we really came out and said it. I think... we wanted to be certain before we said the actual words.”

I take a sip of water and close my eyes, remembering all the instances that I had told Nemo that I loved him without actually saying those words. They were countless, all the way back to the night we escaped from Buckingham Palace, the night I said I would follow him wherever he took me.

“I can’t really speak for Nemo, but... I was scared,” I say. “I was afraid that I would lose sight of my work, that the possible pain of our affair would stop me from achieving my dreams. But, science is the most important thing in the world to Nemo... that reassured me.”

I put a hand to my flushing cheeks and smile despite the embarrassment. “He would never let me stray from science.”

“Impey told me that he wants his words to be perfect,” says Cardia. “He wants his confession to be special. But it’s taking so much time. Whenever I try to talk to Impey about it, he clams up and says he has work to do.”

Cardia shakes her head.

“I think... if you want to talk to someone about Barbicane’s feelings... his best friend might be a better option. I don’t know him as well as he does.”

Cardia slumps in her chair.

“I really don’t have anything... against Nemo...” Cardia speaks slowly. “But I can’t really understand what he’s saying a lot of times.”

I try to hide my laughter, but Cardia catches it and tilts her head.

“I don’t believe that. You knew what he was thinking when he met Conseil. But...” I wink. “I’ll let you think that if it’ll make you feel better.”

Cardia nods appreciatively.

“I do think his words would help you understand where Barbicane is coming from, though.” I say. “Let’s see... it’s been awhile...”

I close my eyes and try to channel that voice. That deep, quiet voice that cuts to my very soul. “Love isn’t something that you can touch. It’s not something that you can see... like the moon.”

The words aren’t exact, but I hope the meaning is getting through.

“The only way to make it visible is to expose yourself to the object of your love. It’s to put yourself in their hands with no way to defend yourself. The pain of love comes from inside of us, and no matter how much we might prepare, we can’t shield ourselves from it.”

I open my eyes again, surprised to feel them filling with tears.

“Barbicane knows that love hurts. I think his heart aches whenever he sees you, Cardia,” I say. “So, when he’s ready to expose both you and himself to that pain... he wants it to be perfect. So the beauty of it all will leave you speechless.”

I take off my glasses and dab my eyes with a napkin, “Damnit, I really am a crybaby...”

When I put my glasses back on, I can see just how deep in thought Cardia is.

“Love does hurt...” she whispers.

I can’t help but think of everything she’s been through, of how hard she had to fight for not only herself, but for her little brother. How it was her kindness that saved the world.

All the pain she’s been through due to her love, and I’m the one crying.

“But... loving someone means that you won’t be alone when you’re in pain. Finis and I can face the world because we have each other, because we love each other. Isn’t ‘romance’ the same way? You talk about how much pain love puts you in, but...”

She shifts in her chair.

“Nemo heard you crying all the way from the bridge. His face was pale when he begged Impey to take the wheel. He said... ‘I have to be with her’. Doesn’t having someone like that make it easier? Doesn’t that make the pain of the first ‘I love you’ worth it?”

Cardia stands up and looks at me with a fierce determination.

“I want to be there for Impey. When he’s hurting, when he’s laughing-- when one of his inventions explode or when he’s gazing up at the moon! I want to share Impey’s dreams and his heartache-- isn’t that what romance is? I want Impey to always be able to smile! Because I-- I really--!”

The door to the bridge opens and Barbicane stands there, eyes wide and his jaw slack.

“C-Cardia-chan...”

I really shouldn’t be here right now, but my legs won’t let me stand.

“It was pretty rotten of me to overhear that, huh?” Barbicane laughs. “I really didn’t mean to! I mean, you know how sound travels through this thing, right? I... I thought it would be good to let you know, right? Before you said something... that you might not want me to hear.”

Cardia turns and looks at Barbicane. She doesn’t look scared or hurt. All I can see is the courage overflowing from her heart.

“I love you, Impey,” she says, her voice firm.

Barbicane and Cardia stare at each other for a long time. Both of their cheeks are flushed, but Barbicane looks more like a tomato than a man.

“Cardia, I...” he rubs the back of his head. “I... don’t know how to say it in a way that will show you just how much I feel it. I’ve been saying those words ever since I first saw you. ‘I love you’. Over and over again, I’ve always said it, but-- Cardia, I really do!”

Barbicane takes a step towards her and takes her hand in both of his. “I don’t know when my love for you became so deep, but no matter how many times I’ve said it, I really hope that now... somehow, I can put all my feelings into those three words! Cardia Beckford, I love you!”

It’s like his nervousness melts away the moment those words leave his lips.

“I’ve been trying to think of different ways to say it. To make it perfect! You mean so much to me, you are my guiding angel, you are the one who will light my way to the moon. I can’t imagine doing it without you at my side! Always! All of these feelings... I’m putting all of them into those words! I love you! I love you!!”

“Impey...” Cardia smiles. “Those three words have always been good enough for me.”

Barbicane embraces Cardia, and she reciprocates by holding him tight.

I wipe my eyes as I watch the two of them. Behind them, on the bridge, I see Nemo look over his shoulder and give a thumbs up.

I finally can feel my legs again and shakily stand up to move past the newly-declared couple. As I squeeze past them and apologize, Cardia looks at me.

“Pauline... it was worth it. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Not knowing what we’re talking about, Barbicane clutches her tighter to him. “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Cardia-chan! Impey Barbicane will protect you with all of the love burning in his heart!”

Cardia just shakes her head, and I shrug as I enter the bridge and close the door behind me to give them some privacy.

“I’m so glad...” I whisper.

“It’s about tiiiiiiiiiime...” Nemo mutters. “But I was honestly hoping for them to wait until we got to shore...”

He sighs and hangs his head. “I had the prettiest show planned. It would have been a beautiful display worthy of the greatest love declaration the world has ever seen! Yeeeeees! Nothing less than the best for my lifelong rival and the friend closest to my heart!!”

I wrap my arms around his waist from behind and rest my cheek on his shoulder blade. “You were still a part of it, Nemo.”

“Mm-hmm~! It’s touching that my wise words made such an impact...” Nemo lilts before groaning again. “Buuuuuuut it just wasn’t flashy enooooouuugh!”

“Well, maybe you can still do this ‘display’ of yours. Sailing across the Atlantic is enough to merit a celebration, don’t you think?”

“Mmmmh....”

“... You’re going to pout no matter what I do, aren’t you?”

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmggghhh...........................”

I sigh. “Very well, then.”

I continue to listen to his grumblings, rubbing his stomach when he gets too impassioned. I really do want him to be quieter while Barbicane and Cardia have their moment.

Finally he leans back so I’m forced to step away. “I’m simply tooooo distraught! I can’t even driiiiiiive...”

My eyes widen as Nemo removes his hands from the wheel and steps away, flashing me a diabolical smile.

“N-NEMO!” I leap in and grab hold of the wheel.

The pressure I feel against it is amazing, this is the strength of the ocean itself! How can Barbicane and Nemo do this so calmly?! I squeeze the wheel so tightly that I can feel my fingers going numb.

The Harper sways, and my body begins to shake from my nerves.

Meanwhile, Nemo sits down and swivels his chair around, propping his feet up on one of the control pads.

He looks far too amused, even as the Harper sways in the opposite direction.

“I-- I can’t get it to stay still!”

Nemo threads his arms behind his head and grins. “You have to work wiiiiiith the movement. You aren’t trying to keep the ship still, you’re trying to keep it steady. So... loosen your grip on the wheel, okaaaaaaaaay~?”

I take a few deep breaths and do my best to ignore the nausea overtaking me. My fingers twitch, and finally I begin to release them.

The Harper groans and shifts again, and panic shoots through my body.

I frantically cling to the wheel as it begins to turn. “Nemo, please!”

Nemo sighs and lazily stands up, taking a moment to stretch as though the submarine he’s standing in isn’t pitching to and fro.

“Oy, Nemo! What the hell is going on in there?!” Barbicane bangs on the door.

“Nooooothing to worry about! Just some driiiiiiving lesso-- OOF!”

If I weren’t a trembling mess, I would have very much enjoyed watching Nemo fall inelegantly on his rump.

I hear him scramble back to his feet with a loud wheeze before he bounds over to me.

I’m eager to give up the wheel, but Nemo doesn’t take it. Instead he stands behind me and leans over, putting his hands over mine gripping the spokes.

“You aren’t liiiiistening....” he loudly whispers. “Loosen your grip. If you lock your arms up, it will be more difficult to keep the wheel steeeaaady...”

My body tenses, but Nemo’s hands feel comforting. He knows what he’s doing.

I slowly exhale and loosen my grip, feeling the weight of the wheel-- no, the ship itself-- against the palms of my hands.

As if she knows there’s a more experienced captain at the helm, the Harper settles down and begins to progress smoothly.

“That was terrifying! Why did you--”

“Because it’s fun to see what cuuuuute reactions you make when you get wooooorried!”

I slowly turn and look up at him with a glare that I wish would freeze him.

Damnit... he’s cute even when he’s being devious...

“Oh!” he suddenly exclaims, making me jump. “Ohhhh--! OHHHHHHHHH----!!!”

“What?” I peer out of the portholes, but the only thing I notice is a slight discoloration of the water.

Nemo kisses me on the cheek before letting go of me and walking across the bridge to pull a lever.

My hands are trembling, but I somehow manage to keep the Harper steady as she begins to tilt upward in a slope.

The pride that swells inside of me mingles with the adrenaline of my panic. I’m ... I’m really doing it. I’m steering a submarine!

“We’ve reached the continental rise! It’ll be up- up- up from here!”

My eyes widen. “Y-You mean it?! South America-- we’ll be on the continental shelf soon?!”

“YEEEEEES! EXAAAAAAACTLY!!”

I can’t stop myself from bouncing on the balls of my feet excitedly.

Reaching the continental shelf means many things for us. We’re almost done with our journey. We’ll see even more life than before! We’re almost there! And-- and when we’re on the shelf, when we’re at waters shallow enough for our body to handle the pressure...!

I look back to the diving suits hanging on the far wall.

Soon we’ll be able to walk on the ocean floor, at depths so deep that man has not yet penetrated!

Nemo walks back over to me and rests his chin on my head.

“My cute professor... maybe soon you’ll be piloting airships, too...”

“No.” My voice is flat, leaving no room for protest.


	34. Liquid Space

I hadn’t realized how tense the atmosphere between Cardia and Barbicane had been until I saw them again. It was like a cloak of pressure had been pulled off, and all that was left were their smiles.

The both of them looked so happy. They looked ‘complete’ together, partners who would one day conquer gravity and the atmosphere itself to ascend to the moon.

Well, that’s how I felt, anyway. The whole thing was terribly romantic.

“So, Nemo tried to teach you how to drive, huh?” Barbicane’s barely looking at me as he speaks. All of his attention is on his angel, who’s still trying to eat her flummery with an exasperated smile.

“’Teach’ is putting it very loosely, I’m afriad,” I say, pushing my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose. “He stepped away from the wheel and I had to grab it. I thought I was going to get us all killed!”

“Well, we all have to start somewhere,” Barbicane finally looks my way and gives me a wink. “I should thank the two of you, though! When the Harper began rocking, I had to hold on super-tight to my princess!”

Cardia sighs and shakes her head. Eventually, though, her embarrassment seemed to melt and she said, “I remember how much fun I had when I first piloted Impey’s Ornithopter. I guess I was lucky to have such a good teacher.”

“’Guess you were lucky’? Luck had nothing to do with it, Cardia-chan! Wasn’t I the best teacher out of them all?! Didn’t you look at me with sparkly eyes and cry: ‘Teach me more, sensei!’“

Cardia sets her fork down. “I’m fairly certain I didn’t do anything like that...”

“Well, just as long as my driving lessons are kept below the sea or on terra firma, I’m fine. I’ll leave Ornithopter piloting to you, Cardia.”

Cardia smiles slightly. “You can count on me.”

“H-Hey! Who owns the Ornithopter, here?! Come on!”

Cardia’s laugh is joyful. I want to give the lovebirds more time to themselves, but I did come here for a specific reason. 

“We’re headed towards the continental shelf now. Nemo said that once we get to shallow enough water... we’ll be able to walk on the ocean floor, deeper than man has ever gone.”

"Heh, you’re usually pretty cool, Polly-chan, but you sound like you’re about to burst!” Barbicane gives me a wolfish smile.

I put a hand to my throat. Was my voice trembling that much?

“Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about! When I’m about to set foot on the moon, I’ll be leaping for joy! Maybe I’ll carry my angel across the threshold of the ship-- she’ll be so beautiful in her suit!”

“The suits are on the bridge, right?” asks Cardia. “How are we going to get outside? I know we have an escape pod, but I don’t think that would work. If we open the hatch, water will come pouring in, won’t it?”

"You wouldn’t have to worry about that even being a possibility,” I say. “The ocean’s pressure is so great that we wouldn’t be able to open the hatch while submerged, no matter how hard we tried.”

“Oh yeah,” Barbicane sighs. “Nemo has a super-secret plan for getting us out there, but he said that if I told you he’d make me his...”

He wrinkles his nose and shudders. “His ‘cute guinea pig’...”

I hide my laughter behind my hand.

\-----

About half an hour later, the four of us are gathered in the bridge.

“We’re at about 50 fathoms,” says Cardia.

“Excelleeeeeeeeeeent! This-- maaaany fathoms below the limits imposed upon man by nature herself-- will be a suuuuuuperb demonstration of my genius!” Nemo throws his head back and cackles while Barbicane lunges forward to catch the steering wheel that Nemo had let go of in his throes of science-induced hysteria.

“Oy, oy, Nemo! Can you cut the hyena laugh while you’re DRIVING?!”

The two scientists do an awkward sort of tango as they fight over the wheel, leaving Cardia and I to muse to ourselves.

“My god... we’ll be walking 96 meters under the water’s surface!” I breathe. “I-- I thought it would be maybe 50 meters at most.”

I can feel excitement bubbling inside of me as I clasp my hands in glee. “I’ll finally be able to be a part of that submerged world, lovingly embraced by the most primal element, the place where life began!”

Barbicane somehow wrestles the wheel away from Nemo, fending him off with one of his feet while balancing precariously. How have we not crashed yet?

“We’re going in teams of two,” says Barbicane. “It’ll be a double date, you know?”

Nemo grimaces at the redhead. “Pleeeeeeeaaase... don’t disrespect this momentous moment with inane babble... try to be serious, hmm? Do it for meeee?”

“I DO NOT NEED YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, TO TELL ME ME TO BE SERIOUS!”

Each couple will be limited to an hour outside. The Harper’s spotlight will illuminate a distance great enough for us to explore to our heart’s content. Each of us will carry one of the rifles specifically designed for this expedition. Each of us get twelve bullets that are already pre-loaded. Only one shot is needed for each enemy, thanks to the electric miracle that each bullet possesses. Quick, painless, and deadly.

“While the first team is out there, the second team will be standing by to make sure that everything goes well. There’s an emergency transmitter in each helmet, but it should really only be used if you absolutely, positively need it,” says Barbicane. “So no screeching. Got it?”

“Hmmm? Whateeeever are you talking about...” Nemo trails off.

“The divers won’t be able to communicate with each other?” I ask.

“Sorry, Polly-chan,” Barbicane smiles at me. “I know you were probably really excited about fish talk, but pressure resistance and the emergency communicators were a higher priority.”

“It’s fine, Barbicane. If anything, it will add to the serenity.” I pause to shake my head. “So, how are we doing this? Shall we pick lots to see which team will go first?”

Barbicane shoots a glance at Nemo before looking back at me. “You’re kidding, right? That’d be like drawing lots to see which one of us will take the first steps on the moon!”

“We had already decided back when the ship was being built,” Cardia smiles.

“Fwee hee hee... of coooooourse it only makes sense that a genius as great as myself would be the first to walk on the ocean floor at this depth!” Nemo laughs loudly, but it soon dies down into a hum. “But to keep you away from the sea of your heart would be like clipping a bird’s wings! Ahhh, how needlessly cruueeel!”

“Nemo... everyone... being able to walk out there... be a part of that world for just a moment... I can’t even begin to thank the three of you enough. But, please... humor my attempt! Thank you!!”

“Geez, so formal,” says Barbicane. “Come on, lighten up a little, will you? We’re your friends! I can’t let go of the wheel right now, Cardia-chan can you go give her a noogie for me or something?”

“A what?” Cardia stares at Barbicane.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” I say quickly as I notice Nemo’s goggles flash with wicked intent. “I am curious about something, though... Nemo.”

Nemo stops, his fingers twitching with what I can only imagine is a childish desire to get me in a headlock like we were schoolchildren.

“Y-Y-Yeeees...?” He looks like a praying mantis, reared back and ready to pounce. The posture is... definitely more intimidating on the insect...

“Cardia raised an interesting point. At this depth... even if it weren’t suicide, it would be impossible for us to open the hatch thanks to the ocean’s pressure. How do you plan on us getting out of here?”

“Ohhh...? Impeeey Barbicane didn’t tell you, after all? Such a shame... what a shaaaaaaaaaame!! He would have made such a cute little guinea pig, don’t you think...?”

Barbicane sounds like he’s choking.

“But, no matter! Come, come, coooome with me! I will shoooow you, my daaaarling---!!” Nemo takes my hand and begins to lead me towards the salon.

“You two better not do anything too creepy out there while my honey and I are watching--!” Barbicane yells after us.

“Heheheee... don’t teeeempt me!” Nemo flashes a smile as he shuts the salon door behind us. He gives my hand a squeeze before approaching his pipe organ and flicking open a small compartment. He presses a button, and the pipe organ... it’s almost like the mouth of a living creature as it jolts to life and opens with a roar. Beyond the instrument is a room so small that the four of us would have trouble cramming inside. But the most interesting part of it is the trap door and some valves nearby.

“Water will come in through here,” Nemo points to the valve. “And the pressures will equalize. Then, we will drop into the seaaaaaaaaa!”

He looks at me with a leer. “Are you frightened? You can hold onto me if you neeeeeed~”

I laugh and turn away from the open pipe organ. “I’m not afraid of the sea... but I just might take you up on your offer anyway.”

His smile widens, and I quickly look away before adding: “You know... just so we won’t take any unnecessary risks.”

Despite our banter, getting undressed is surprisingly uneventful. We have bigger things to think about. We drag our diving suits over to the trap door and begin to suit each other up. Our boots are weighted, so it’s much easier for us to dress directly above where we’ll be dropping.

The suits are beautiful, rubber and canvas with a strange metal vest to protect ourselves from the pressure. There’s also a strange box upon our backs not unlike the one Nemo usually wears. I can only assume that these are our breathing apparatuses.

Nemo looks delicious in the technology he’s created, hair falling temptingly over his shoulders as ties it back so it will fit in the helmet. Overcome with excitement and desire, I pull him down to my height and kiss him.

“For luck,” I say with a shrug.

“We have science on our side, which is faaaaaaaar more reliable than luck! So if you want to kiss me, do it in triumph of this moment we will carve into the annals of histoooooooory!”

Separated by the weight of our suits, I can’t hold him as tight as I want or kiss him as deeply as I want, but it is still an embrace carved into my memory forever.

It takes a little while for us to screw our helmets into place, but I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of visibility I have. Nemo, too, looks absolutely delighted and decides to demonstrate this by affectionately thunking his helmet against mine. It would have been cute if the impact hadn’t made my teeth rattle.

There’s a light, mechanical hum and a pulse not unlike a mechanical heartbeat before I realize that I can breathe normally. With this, I know that we’re ready for the true expedition of our voyage.

Nemo holds an arm out towards me and I try to shuffle in my boots to get closer to him. It doesn’t really work, and the two of us look more like we’re dance partners being scrutinized by chaperones.

Still, with an arm around each other and guns in our free hands, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world!

Nemo reaches up and flicks a switch, and we’re surrounded by darkness. There’s a loud rumble before I feel a coldness surrounding me, enveloping me slowly from my feet upwards. But in that coldness is freedom, and once we’re submerged in the water I’m able to pull Nemo in by his waist.

A moment passes, and Nemo presses another switch. The floor beneath us opens into a square of blue twilight, and we begin to sink a short distance down to the bottom of the sea.

How can I possibly describe the marvels before me? The sand beneath our feet is even and dusted with pieces of shells, and I do my best to avoid the unfortunate mollusks that have made their home here. They were truly radiant, lining the ground like a path in the Count’s gardens.

It’s so easy for me to move now that we’re submerged that I’m able to bend down to take a closer look at the shells. I immediately recognize the angel wing clam, and it takes all of my self-restraint to stop myself from picking one up to get a better look at the magnificent shape. After all, here I am merely a visitor. Nearby are various bullmouth snail shells, and I find myself climbing carefully to get a closer look.

Nemo observes me side-stepping the creatures, and for a moment I fear that he might not have the same regard for the ocean life. I’m relieved, though, to see him apparently realize the significance of this untouched landscape-- or maybe he just knows it would upset me-- or... perhaps he just wants to show off, as he jumps over the groups of mollusks like he’s playing a game of hopscotch.

Either way, I show my approval by taking his free hand and giving it a grateful squeeze. He returns the squeeze, clearly glad that I noticed his attempt to spare the lives of dozens of helpless invertebrates. Nemo thunks his helmet lightly against mine multiple times, trying... apparently... to mimic an excited flurry of kisses.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

He doesn’t let go of my hand, leading me through the kaleidoscope of wonders before us. The light fading in the deep casts a reddish glow over us as we enter a forest of seaweed blooming in more hues than I could even imagine.

An underwater forest... the site of many of my childhood adventures. Surely as we tread through this place, I can push away the kelp and catch a glimpse of my beloved Atlantis!

But it’s not Atlantis I see as I push aside stalks of kelp: _Squalus cuvier_ , renamed _Galeocerdo tigrinus_ in 1837, and more commonly called the man-eater shark.

I take a step back in the sand, telling myself it’s to get a better view of the shark in its natural surroundings. My quaking legs say otherwise.

I love the creatures of the deep, all of them, truly. ... But god, what terrible and fearsome foes sharks are!

I mean, I don’t have much reason to think so... sharks are usually docile creatures who show curiosity with their teeth. With their many, many rows of teeth... and their inky black eyes...

I shudder, hoping that the motion was hidden by my suit.

Nemo looks at me, then at the shark, then at me again. I can practically see him squinting in confusion.

It’s perfectly natural for a marine biologist to be nervous around sharks! In fact, we should know better than anyone what these creatures are capable of! Like removing limbs and things like that.

He points to the shark and looks back at me, tilting his head. It’s strange to see him pantomiming his usual outbursts... and it’s even stranger how he still manages to slouch so distinctly in his diving suit.

But my observations are cut short when he cocks his rifle with a flourish and takes aim at the shark.

I quickly begin waving my arms, shaking my head vigorously. I might be frightened by these creatures, but that is certainly no reason to kill it! It hasn’t even noticed us!

I should have known guns would be a bad idea, almost as bad as handing him explosive material! He’s like a giddy child, if he has a toy he simply has to show it off-- tenfold if it’s one he created!

Nemo looks over at me, his gun still raised, and tilts his head in the opposite direction.

Damnit, he doesn’t understand! Why don’t we have any way of communication?! If only I could somehow convey that this creature is a precious specimen, a precious piece of the ocean’s biological community! Think clearly, Pauline!

I worriedly look back at the shark and freeze-- my hand signals must have attracted it, because it’s headed this way! And if it heads this way, Nemo will certainly kill it!

The shark swoops down, and I shove the both of us to the ground. Of course, Nemo being Nemo, he begins to flail in a panic. Being a rational woman, I quickly climb on top of him and lay still, hoping to weigh down his limbs.

Sharks have terrible vision, and once we’re on the ground it doesn’t seem to notice us, even as Nemo continues to attempt his kicking.

Once the shark meanders out of sight, I slowly roll off of Nemo and onto my back, staring up at the surface of the ocean as my heartrate begins to go down.

Nemo’s probably very confused as well, but hopefully he’s able to realize how closely we brushed against death. He leans over and peers at me, his lips pursed in confusion. But when I shake my head, he shrugs and flops back down, sending up a cloud of sand.

The sun seems so far away down here, and the ripples of the water give it the appearance of a stained-glass window. It’s peaceful, almost solemn, much like the church I visited as a child.

Nemo reaches over and rubs my hand for attention. Such a needy man! But I can’t help but smile and thread our fingers together.

Holding his hand, I look back up at the surface as a denizen of this wonderland that lies fathoms below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Professor Aronnax is terrified of sharks in the original 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I think it's absolutely hysterical, so I had to incorporate it somehow!


	35. Diver's Fatigue

The light flicks back on once the water recedes from the airlock.

It turns out that the humming that I thought had been the submarine is actually a high-pitched scream coming from inside Nemo’s helmet. Before I can assess whether he’s hurt or just being noisy, his legs give out and he falls backwards with a crash, weighted feet still stuck to floor.

I curse as I clumsily unscrew my helmet and set it aside, taking only a moment to relish the cool air before I pull off my boots.

Now I understand why Nemo fell. The exertion of our submerged walk combined with our clunky diving suits and our sudden lack of buoyancy makes me almost collapse as well. I fall to my knees next to him and begin unscrewing his helmet while he weakly flails.

I’m relieved to see the wide grin on his face when I pull off his helmet.

“Amazing!” Nemo voice is hoarse but enthusiastic-- and just as loud as ever. “Marvelous, splendid, beyond even my grand imagiiiiiiiiiiiinings--!!!”

I nod, giving him a smile on my own. “It was absolutely magnificent! I-- I can’t even think of what to say to express how I feel right now.” I set his helmet down and hesitate for only a moment before realizing that I have no reason to hold back.

“It was wonderful, Nemo!” I cry out his name before throwing my arms around his neck. My fingers ache as they cling to the fabric of his dive suit, cling to the man who had shown me so many wonders. These grand visions have forever left their imprint in my mind!

Nemo puts a hand on my back and attempts to sit up, but he slumps back down with a tired sigh. “Diver’s fatiiiiiiiiigue... we need to stay in here a liiiiiiiiittle longer for the pressure to sort itself out.”

I brush a few strands of hair away from his face. His skin is flushed and damp from exertion, and his goggles have fogged up from the humidity. I instinctively reach for my handkerchief, only to remember that I’m in a dive suit with no pockets for things like kerchiefs.

With a sigh I say as I settle against his chest. “I’m still trying to take it all in, I haven’t felt like this since my last expedition. It’s... been too long. I feel alive.”

I frown and dart a glance at him and his flushed skin. “I just wish... If only I weren’t so exhausted, I’d...”

“Yooooou’d... whaaaaat...?” he speaks slower than usual, his smile turning devious.

I ignore my sore muscles as I lean up and answer him with a kiss, slow and soft.

When I pull away, he gives a low hum that dissolves into a purr of contemplation.

“That was... rather inconclusive, don’t you thiiiiink?” he tilts my chin towards him and grazes his lips over mine. “Let’s try that agaaaiin...”

Our bodies are heavy, but his kisses are sweet, and I hope that my affection can convey even a fraction of my gratitude.

\-----

“Barbicane! Cardia!” I walk into the bridge, smiling as I hug Cardia tight and give her a friendly kiss on each cheek. “Did you see us? Wasn’t it amazing?!”

I can’t stop myself from twirling like an excitable little girl, though I stop when I see Barbicane looking at me with his arms outstretched and lips puckered.

“What... you gave my angel a kiss, right?”

I have no idea how he just made his oddly-pointed teeth sparkle, but they are indeed sparkling.

“How about one for this genius engineer?”

Before I can respond--

“OOOOOOOO---KAY ❤ !”

Nemo dives into Barbicane’s arms and lands a kiss on his mouth with a loud smack.

“No way, man, that’s not cool! Get off! NEMO!!”

Nemo cackles loudly and squishes Barbicane’s cheeks in his palms. “But you said you wanted a kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss~”

“I meant from Polly-chan!! She’s way cuter than you!!”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaat?! Clearly I’m the cutest one heeeeere!”

Cardia shakes her head and looks back at me. “How was it out there? Was it difficult to move around in the suits?”

“It really wasn’t bad at all once we got out in the water,” I say. “But I’m going to be sore for days, that fatigue is no joke. Oh, but it was completely worth it! I can’t wait to write all this down- ahh! My journal!”

I was so excited that I had almost forgotten about it, but panic washes over me in a rush as I sprint to begin recording my experience.

\-----

Soon I’m watching Cardia and Barbicane on their expedition, and I cringe each time Barbicane clumsily steps on the mollusks Nemo and I worked so hard to avoid. I suppose it was inevitable.

Ah, there’s that sound again. Clamoring boots and loud vocalizations that signal the approach of a certain genius scientist.

“Shouldn’t you be in the bridge?” I cut off the noisy greeting that he’s already begun.

“Hee hee! The Harper isn’t going anywhere, you knooooow...” Nemo walks around the lounge before sitting down next to me. With a dramatic sigh he swings his legs over and across my lap, dictating in a very cat-like fashion that it was time for me to pay attention to him instead of my drawings.

“I wasn’t done recording the results of--”

I don’t even have time to finish my sentence before he straightens back up and scoots back into his seat, allowing me to continue my scientific endeavors. Well, no one can say that he doesn’t have his priorities straight when it comes to research, I suppose.

He’s surprisingly quiet as I continue to draw. I almost begin to miss his voice when I feel him staring at me, and I look up to see him with a thin smirk on his face.

“Maybe I shooooould keep a closer eye on those two...” his voice is dripping with self-satisfaction. “It would be rather frightening if they came across a shark, don’t you think?”

I was wondering how long it would take for him to poke fun at me. I ignore him and set my focus completely on my art, knowing that I’m protected from anything too severe as long as I’m working.

He giggles again and stands up. “I’ll leave you in peace, then, Professoooooor~!”

I hear the door of the salon open, and I finally allow myself to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, that sigh turns into a surprised shriek when Nemo lunges over the back of chaise lounge and wraps his arms around my shoulders.

In shock I drop my journal and try to pry his hands away, but his grip is surprisingly firm. He leans in and presses his cheek against mine, laughing eerily.

“They really shoooould be careful, though. I hear that sharks have quite a dangerous b-i-t-e-!”

My toes curl when he suddenly clamps his teeth against my throat.

The pressure lingers, enough for him to savor my pulse quickening under his grip.

Then he jerks away and hands over my journal with a wink, licking his lips in satisfaction.

As he leaves, my embarrassment boils over and I fling my journal at the salon door. It misses spectacularly, and I have no one to blame but myself as I sheepishly walk over to pick it back up.

\-----

“You’re really not tired?” I look at Barbicane and Cardia with wide eyes.

Cardia shakes her head. “No, not at all. I really don’t ever need to sleep or eat.”

There was enough evidence to support this, I suppose I just hadn’t put two and two together.

“And I’m just super-strong!” Barbicane pats his bicep and stomps his weighted boots with a grin. “That was pretty exciting though! It was almost like I was in space!”

My smile thins as I suck on my lips in annoyance. “Barbicane, you just came back from walking the deep, taking in mysteries untouched by man, and your commentary is ‘it was like I was in space’...?”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Polly-chan!” Barbicane flashes another smile. “This might be a grand adventure for you, but it’s just a sneak peek for me!”

He clears his throat and puts his diving helmet under his arm before looking serious and speaking in a dignified voice: “I’ll leave the seas in your capable hands, Professor Polly-chan.”

Cardia and I speak at the same time: “Never do that again.”

Though Cardia and Barbicane are still energetic, I convince them that it would still be a good idea to spend one last night on the Harper before going ashore. After all, this is a rare opportunity for the four of us to mingle under the waves without having to worry about shifts or the like.

We were supposed to dock in Brazil, but Nemo shakes his head.

“I’ve diverted our course to Argentina. I’m sure you understand, myyyyy darling. It would be unfooooortunate if your rotten assistant and his harpoon-wielding, unenlightened meathead found us.”

I sigh and lean into his shoulder. “I understand. We’ll need to be careful, though. I’ve never been there myself, but Great Britain has a large presence in Argentina.”

Nemo laughs shrilly before giving me a pat on the head. “Great Britain has a large presence eeeeeeeeeverywhere!”

“She brings up a good point, though,” says Cardia. “We need to come up with a plan if someone confronts us.”

Barbicane looks over at Nemo nervously. “Not sure any disguise or story we’d come up with would stick.”

“What’s thaaaaaaaaaat supposed to mean?” Nemo frowns.

“It means that you’re about as subtle as a bomb going off...” Barbicane sighs.

“Fwee hee hee! I refuse to hide, aaaanyway!” Nemo waves at Barbicane dismissively. “Let them come, let them see us and tell Victoria of our grand victoooooory!”

“And if they’re after the bounty on your head?” Cardia narrows her eyes.

“As I saaaaaid...” his smirk widens and his voice darkens. “Let them come. I’ll make them regret ever crossing Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaptain Nemo!!” He clenches a fist. “Ohhhhhhhhh, how I look forward to their feeble attempts! It’s been such a long time since I’ve been able to crush someone under my heeeeeel...”

“Ahaha... ha...” Barbicane’s laugh is nervous. “Yeah, ground rules: no murder, no explosives, and no delusions of grandeur bigger than usual. Polly-chan, I’m going to need your help with this one.”

“Huh?” I look over at Barbicane. “Me?”

“Yeah, you. You’re his guiding light, his ticket to Heaven, stuff like that, you know?” Barbicane smiles.

“.... I’d hate to steal your job,” I say, pausing to relish his shocked expression. “Besides, if it’s in self-defense...” I hesitate to say the actual words, but I punctuate it with a shrug.

Barbicane blanches. “T-The hell... you were freaking out when he was going to shoot a shark, but when he talks about crushing people under his heel you pull the self-defense card?!”

I look out the porthole. “The shark didn’t do anything.”

Cardia takes a deep breath.

“Pauline, didn’t you choose South America because you wanted to study the wildlife?”

I look at Cardia. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Nemo,” she turns to look at him. “If there’s a commotion, our scientific expedition will be interrupted.”

Those words clearly had an effect.

Nemo’s sitting there, mouth hanging open, completely silen-- oh, no. Not silent. There’s a very, very high-pitched noise of distress beginning in his throat, almost beyond our range of hearing at first. But as it gains volume, the porthole begins to rattle.

And through it all, Cardia sits with a stony expression. “So, now that you understand the situation we’re in... no explosions. No murder. And no crushing people under your heel.”

Nemo dramatically lets his head fall upon his breast. “I understaaaaaaaaand...”

I’m certain that my shocked appearance matches Barbicane’s. Cardia completely diffused Nemo without anger, without hostility, and even without tears.

She told me before that she doesn’t understand him, but that clearly isn’t the case. She was able to reach through his bravado with a swiftness that betrayed her understanding of Nemo’s truth: everything is for science. The quickest way to get him to calm down is to appeal to his love of science.

Of course, the unwanted side effect of this for most people is to have to deal with the fallout of his excited chatter.

I give Cardia a sympathetic smile as Nemo gestures grandly and rambles about her father’s genius. It is a small mercy, however, that the genius he decides to discuss at this particular time is Steel London itself. To summarize his adoring speech, Nemo believes that Steel London is his master’s city, even after his death. We as a race will always owe our way of living to Isaac’s brilliance.

Cardia doesn’t look too upset, though. Perhaps it’s because Nemo is speaking about all of the good that Isaac did for humanity. I wonder, after all of her experiences, how much good she’s really heard about her father. It’s... strangely uplifting, especially coming from Nemo (who, as Barbicane puts it, makes even the blackest coffee taste sweet by comparison). 

He really, really loved Isaac. He loved Isaac as much as he hated the world. He has so much love to give...

I rest my cheek against the porthole, soothed by Nemo’s grandiose speech.

\-----

“S-She really can sleep through anything...” Impey looks at Aronnax with wide eyes. “Man, what a blessing!”

“Hrm?” Nemo pauses his discussion of Isaac Beckford revolutionizing Steel London’s architecture in order to glance over at the porthole. An affectionate grin spreads across his features as he reaches over to take off Aronnax’s glasses.

“You’re tired too, aren’t you?” Cardia looks at Nemo, deciding to press her luck in the hopes that he wouldn’t start his speech back up again.

“Mmm... it isn’t that late already, is it?”

Impey, realizing what Cardia is trying to do, gives a loud yawn and stands up. “Speak for yourself, I’m beat! We want to get on shore before sunrise, right? I’m going to give the Harper a once-over and call it a night.”

“Suit yourself...” Nemo pouts as he stands up. “I was having so much fun talking about sensei, though...”

He walks over to Aronnax and bends down to pick her up so he can deposit her in one of the bunks.

“Seeeeeeeeeeeensei would probably want you to get a few hours of sleep before an expedition!” says Impey.

Cardia and Nemo stop and glance at each other before staring at Impey and saying: “Never do that again.”

“OH COME ON!”


	36. Beachside

The sun has just started to make its debut when we hit land. Barbicane quickly ties our little boat to one of the piers before hopping onto the dock and dramatically offering Cardia a hand.

“Didn’t I tell you this baby would get us here? Honestly, you ladies worry too much!”

Cardia and I exchange glances before looking over at Nemo.

Nemo is still dripping miserably. He took a nasty stumble into the sea while trying to get the stalled motor of Impey’s “baby” running again...

It makes him look super-pathetic when he offers Barbicane a confident grin and a thumbs up.

These boys, I swear...

“Come on,” I say as I use Barbicane to hoist myself out of the boat before helping Cardia up myself. “Nemo, you too.”

Nemo’s boots squish as he climbs out of the boat. With a dramatic sigh he flops down and pulls one off, emptying a steady stream of water back into the sea.

“It looks like we landed in a fishing village,” says Cardia. I follow her gaze to see men preparing their boats for the day.

“Hey, maybe I can talk to some of them to get some lodgings around here,” says Barbicane. “I’ll be back!”

“Um, Barbicane...” I watch his retreating back as he bounds off. With a sigh I look over at Cardia. “How much Spanish does he know?”

“I don’t think he knows any...” says Cardia.

“My Spanish is rudimentary, at best,” I say. “We might have a problem.”

“I’d be surprised if they spoke Spanish,” says Nemo. He swings his boots over his shoulder. “... It will take a generation or two for the colonizer’s language to seep in.”

“Nemo...”

My expeditions have taken me many places, but... most of them were colonies of one power or another. 

I’m ashamed to admit that I hadn’t given it much thought until I met him. How many people have lost their identities in the name of ‘progress’...? In the name of ‘civilization’?

I decide to distract myself from the knot forming in my stomach by watching Barbicane flail in his attempts to establish contact.

Finally, I shake my head. “Think they know Latin?”

Nemo cracks his neck and hands me his boots. “Hoooold these. And that thought. Also this.”

“Huh? Ack!” I shiver as he drops his soaked coat over my shoulders and walks towards Barbicane. When I had fantasized about wearing his coat, it hadn’t been anything like this. Even the lavender smells damp!

My cheeks flush, and with my luck it’s from pneumonia beginning to settle in. I accept my fate and decide to huddle in his coat anyway. It’s not like he’s around to laugh at me.

I’m not surprised when I can hear Nemo speaking (yelling) with the men all the way across the beach. I’m also not surprised when he begins speaking in French, since that’s the language we usually use when we’re alone.

However, when that proves ineffective, the languages fire like bullets: English, German, Spanish, Latin, and then into languages I don’t understand-- all of them with elongated vowels and a bombastic accent, of course.

With each language that Nemo tries, Barbicane’s jaw falls farther and farther and the fishermen shrink farther and farther away.

Was that a Chinese dialect? I think that might have been Russian. I’m only mildly surprised when he resorts to Hindi. Finally, when Nemo begins speaking in Arabic, the fishermen nod.

And that’s when the showtime really begins. Now that he knows they can understand them, Nemo leaps into all the posing and drama that he had been storing inside of him.

... Most of the men begin slinking away.

“Wait!” Cardia runs towards the others, waving. The men stop in their tracks and stare. I can’t say I blame them, she’s quite the vision with her hair shining in the rising sun.

I’m rather grateful that Cardia’s beauty distracts them from noticing me hobbling after her.

Cardia gestures towards Nemo before holding out her hand and offering the fishermen something.

We don’t have any of their coin, but precious metals are universal and that’s what Cyrene Smith had given us for bartering.

Well, bribery seems to provide an effective balm for dealing with Nemo’s theatrics, and soon one of the fishermen gestures for us to follow.

Eventually we reach a group of cabins near the other end of the beach. It looks a little upscale compared to the other buildings, and I can only assume that these cabins are usually rented out by richer visitors and explorers. The countries of South America have been in vogue since Charles Darwin’s travels, and it looks like this place is profiting off it quite nicely.

The fisherman says his farewell to us in perfect Spanish before departing, leaving Nemo scowling after him.

“Well, all’s well that ends well, right?” Barbicane says with a shrug. “Let’s get some cabins and plot our next move.”

I look at Cardia. Though it’s true that she and Barbicane had declared their love for one another, the two of them sharing a cabin might be a bit much for Cardia at this point.

“We can share a cabin if you’d like,” I say.

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-----T?!?!”

I’m fairly certain that Nemo’s anguished cry registered as an earthquake.

“B-But Polly-chaaaaaaaaan...!!” Nemo continues whining. “I had so many fuuuuuuun things planned! We were finally going to consummate our looooooove under a blanket of stars---!!!”

Cardia blanches, and Barbicane quickly puts his hands over her ears. “Oy, Nemo, what the hell?! I never want to hear you say the wod ‘consummate’ ever again! I’m having enough nightmares as it is...”

I look around nervously, wondering if there’s a hole I can crawl into.

Cardia reaches up and takes Barbicane’s hands off of her ears, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine, I trust Impey. Besides, I still remember what Van taught me.”

Barbicane and Nemo jump back as she suddenly launches one of her legs upward in a debilitating kick.

“H-Have mercy on me, my angel...” Barbicane weakly stammers.

“Suddenly I’m veeeeeeery grateful that you were so cooperative back at Twilight Headquarters............” Nemo shuffles behind Barbicane and peers around him nervously.

Cardia beams up at the both of them with a look far too angelic for the move she just used.

Nemo’s yelling woke the innkeepers, so we were able to procure two cabins without further delay. At Barbicane’s request, however, our cabins are on either side of the resort. This request confused Nemo greatly, and he’s dragging his feet sullenly as the innkeeper leads us to our cabin far, far away from the others.

It looks cozy, even the peeling white paint somehow looks rustic. At the steps the sandy soil begins to give way to blades of grass, and I can’t wait to take off my boots to walk around.

“I’m really glad Cardia said she would go to the beach with me. I know we’ve spent so much time around them, but this is a completely different continent! Just imagine all the things we can find!"

I lift my arms up and stretch, enjoying the warm sun shining down on me.

“I hope I brought enough journals with me, I’d really like to...” I turn and look at Nemo.

He’s quietly staring at me, jaw slack and cheeks flushed as though he had just noticed something.

I look around before glancing back at him. “What’s wrong?”

He slouches even further, his surprised expression melting into a dopey smile.

“Nooooothing, really... I was just thiiiiiiiiiinking about how good it looks on you...”

“Huh? How good it...? Oh!” I look down, remembering that his jacket was still over my shoulders. “Oh, I-- I must have forgotten... geez...”

I begin to take it off, but he puts his hands on my shoulders to stop me.

“Hmmm, just for a liiiiittle while longer, okay? My style looks... really good on you...”

He moves his hands up to cup my cheeks.

“Really... really........”

His mumurs are only silenced when our lips meet.

Without his jacket on, it’s easier for me to appreciate his slim waist as I wrap my arms around him. It’s not enough, though, and I quickly fumble with my gloves. When I finally reach a hand under his sweater, I shudder in delight at the heat radiating off of his skin.

I lean my forehead against his and grin. “You understand now, right? Why our cabin is so far away from the rest? We have some time before I’m supposed to meet Cardia... can’t we have just a quick partnership before then...?”

“I was trying to wait until tonight...” Nemo presses his lips to my cheek. “But, since you’re insiiiiiiiiiiiisting... who am I to deny you the spectacle of my loooooove?!”

I give an excited shriek when he suddenly picks me up, and I pepper him with kisses wherever my mouth can reach.

However, when he gets to the stairs of the cabin, he wobbles and he mutters a low curse.

“Let’s... let’s try that again...”

He sets me down and lopes up the stairs before offering his hand to me.

I shake my head and take it, laughing as we stumble into the cabin, barely making it to the bed.

\-----

“There’s... only one one of them...” Cardia stares down at the large bed taking up most of the space in the room.

“Yeah, looks that way, doesn’t it...” Impey gives a sigh. “Man, and I was looking forward to plump pillows and clean sheets...”

Cardia looks at him and tilts her head.

“H-Hey, I might look like the kind of guy who would take advantage of this, but I’m not going to be a creep to my girlfriend. When we finally share a bed, I want you to open your arms to me and say, 'Impey, my darling! Keep me warm tonight!' I’m getting pumped just thinking about it!”

He grins, caught up in his fantasy. “Yeah, but until that time I’ll just sleep on the floor, okay?”

“.... I wouldn’t mind sharing it,” says Cardia.

“W-Wha... my angel...” Impey puts a hand to his chest. “So forward...! Okay, I’ll work hard to meet your expectations! I’ll meet every passionate moment, Cardia-chan--!”

He moves to embrace her, but Cardia holds her hands up and shakes her head. Impey comes skidding to a stop.

“I just meant sharing it. You’ve worked really hard and we weren’t able to sleep well on the Harper. But I really... really just mean sleeping, Impey.”

Impey looks at her, and at the pretty blush crossing her cheeks. His eager grin turns into a soft smile as he takes a step back.

“Then, I’ll work hard to meet your expectations as the best body warmer boyfriend ever!” Impey flashes a smile and points to himself. “You won’t have to worry about a thing, Cardia-chan! I’ll keep to my side of the bed and make sure you don’t get any cold toes! You’ll have the best night’s sleep ever!”

Cardia laughs. “Not for many hours! I’m going to be going to the beach with Pauline... what do you think you’ll be doing?”

“Might join you, if you don’t mind. I bet you girls will look really cute in your bathing suits!”

“Nnnnnnnnnnnnot so fast!”

Nemo strides in through the door. He’s clearly already gone shopping, as instead of his soggy gear he’s dressed in a cotton shirt and trousers with an elaborate pink and purple scarf draped over his shoulders. Somehow, even in this unfamiliar place, he manages to make his style as eccentric as ever.

“Impey Barbicaaaaaaaaaaaane... I need your assistance procuring supplies. The beach will still be there when we’re doooone...”

“Supplies?!” Impey shakes his head. “We packed enough for the round trip! The beach might still be there, but you’re going to make me miss seeing my sun-kissed princess?!”

Nemo frowns deeply, his lips drawn thin. “It’s very.... veeeeeeeery important!”

“More important than Cardia-chan in... huh?” Impey looks out the door of the cabin as his voice trails off.

\-----

I feel a little sheepish when Barbicane stares at me. Nemo had insisted that it would look good on me, but...

On my previous expeditions, even when I was oceanside, I’d continue to wear heavy-duty clothing-- just in case. But somehow Nemo had convinced me to wear a proper bathing suit.

It’s a high-waisted one piece with two vertical rows of bronze buttons trailing down the front. It’s mostly navy with white trim to evoke a nautical feeling. As Barbicane continues to stare, I'm suddenly grateful for the sheer wrap I have tied around my waist.

I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw this suit in the market, I told Nemo that if I were a braver woman I’d love to wear something like it.

He bought it for me immediately. I don’t think we have it in our budget, but... in the end it’s really Aleister that paid for it all. Plus, Nemo looked so happy when he gave it to me, smiling adoringly.

“Somedaaaaay...” he said. “I’ll design a really, reeeeally cute uniform for you when you fly with me. Consider this practice until then, hmm?”

Being able to casually explore this seaside town with him, not having to worry about soldiers or anything... it was really nice. I hope that the two of us will be able to have many, many more days like this.

“It’s okay, Impey,” says Cardia. “Maybe we can all go swimming when you’re done.”

“Count on it,” Barbicane nods. “I’m not letting a second paradise slip through my fingers! We worked so hard on Lincoln Island, I’ve gotta relax a bit! You know, enjoy the sunshine, swim a bit, admire the pretty ladies, tinker in the setting sun...”

“Does tinkering really count as relaxing?” I ask.

“Yes,” Nemo and Barbicane speak unanimously.


	37. Of Fireworks and Gods

A sweet ghost crab slowly waddles across the beach, its little legs skittering in an attempt to get away from me.

“Ah, hold on, there!” I laugh as I scooch after it. “Come on, I’m not going to hurt you!”

Cardia walks over and kneels down in front of the crab, tilting her head to get a closer look at it.

She’s really in her element here, her pale skin practically glowing in the warm sun. She’s in a simple white one piece with a hole cut in the chest. The only decoration the swimsuit needs is provided there by the dazzling horologium.

The crab isn’t quite sure what to do with Cardia blocking its path, but after a moment it begins skittering around her towards the sea.

“Let it go,” I say with a grin. “Little thing’s probably half-scared to death.”

“It was kind of cute,” says Cardia.

“I love crabs,” I say. “It’s such a weird thing to say, but the way they walk is so adorable.”

Cardia turns to watch it go.

“They’re all bow-legged and cute, waddling without even facing straight...” I cross my arms. “Actually, thinking about it, they almost remind me of Nemo.”

“Huh...” Cardia narrows her eyes and watches the crustacean skitter through the sand. “I guess... I didn’t think of it like that.”

“Woah, watch out, little guy!” Barbicane does a strange sort of do-si-do to avoid stepping on the crab. He grins and gives it a wave before heading over to us.

“Did you finish buying supplies?” asks Cardia.

“Supplies? Man, I don’t want to talk about that. Shopping with Nemo is a nightmare I don’t want to re-live anytime soon,” Barbicane shakes his head. “But what’s important is that I’m here now and my princess looks absolutely stunning!”

Cardia stands up and dusts some sand off of her legs before smiling. “Thank you, Impey.”

“Ahhh, I can’t take it! I’m going to dive into the water right now and find a pearl for you!”

But before Barbicane can run towards the ocean, I cry out for him to stop.

“The sun’s setting,” I say. “It’s not safe to swim now. The sharks are getting ready to feed.”

“Guess I wouldn’t want to interrupt their dinner time, huh?” Barbicane smiles before sitting down on the beach. “That’s right, you get pretty creeped out by sharks, don’t you?”

Barbicane looks my way and grins. “Kind of funny, isn’t it? That a marine biologist is scared of sharks?”

I frown. “It makes perfect sense. I know what they’re capable of.”

"Uh-huh, sure."

Cardia walks over and sits down next to Barbicane, and the three of us watch the sun slowly melt into the sea.

It takes a little too long, but I finally realize what a third wheel I’m becoming. The two of them look so cute sitting next to each other.

But as soon as I stand up, I hear an explosion in the distance.

“What was that?!”

Barbicane is also on his feet, scanning the horizon for enemies or airships.

“Oh...!” Cardia gasps as dozens of hues light the sky.

The sky is blooming in a bouquet of fireworks.

“A beautiful display...” I murmur before a smile stretches over my face. “Worthy of the greatest love confession the world has ever seen...”

“Huh?” Barbicane looks over at me.

“You and Cardia should enjoy this,” I say, looking at their faces washed in the golden hues of another burst of fireworks. “Nemo made it for you, after all.”

Barbicane looks back up at the sky and smiles. “That dope...”

“It’s just like him,” says Cardia. She looks up at Barbicane and tugs on his hand.

Barbicane looks down at her with a grin that looks rather sheepish before sitting back down in the sand next to her.

I decide to quietly head back to the cabin to give them some time alone.

\-----

Though the spectacle of lights would be enough for most people, Impey is instead watching the look of delight on Cardia’s face as each firework blossoms in the sky.

“It’s so beautiful!” she says with a sigh.

“Yeah...” says Impey, not taking his eyes off of her. The lights in her eyes look like stars, and Impey can’t pull himself away.

“Cardia...” his voice sounds more serious than usual. “I know I’ve only been your boyfriend for a couple of days, but it really feels like we’ve been a pair all this time. All the way back to when I had my face in my precious engine, right? ‘Nice to meet you, cutie! It is I, your very own prince astride a white horse!’ Remember?”

Cardia laughs. “I remember.”

“I’m really kicking myself for not saying anything sooner,” Impey continues. “Maybe if I had, I don’t know... I sure did keep you waiting a long time.”

“I’m a little glad, to be honest,” says Cardia. When she sees Impey’s eyes widen, she smiles. “It gave me the chance to be the one to tell you. You’ve said ‘I love you’ from the very start, and you gave me time to say those words back to you... I’m glad.”

“Cardia-chan...”

Cardia looks back up at the fireworks show, and soon Impey follows her gaze.

“Impey, these fireworks are a bit like shooting stars, aren’t they?”

“Yeah,” Impey continues to look up at them.

Cardia looks up at him and a smile crosses her face. “Impey, you should close your eyes and make a wish.”

“On the fireworks?” Impey looks down at her.

“Yes, just like if they were shooting stars,” says Cardia.

“Okay,” says Impey. “I guess it couldn’t hurt, huh?”

Impey closes his eyes. “I wish... I wish......”

Cardia’s smile brightens when she sees him focusing so hard on his wish. He really believes in it. He really believes that if he tries hard enough, he can ride the stars to make all his wishes come true.

She knows with absolute certainty that she wants to help him make all of his dreams real. She’s absolutely certain as she leans up and gives Impey her first kiss.

Impey twitches in surprise, but he soon melts into the softness of her lips-- a melting that would have been deadly a short time ago. It was worth the wait.

When Cardia pulls back, his eyelashes flutter and he gives her a grin. “How did you know that my wish was to get a kiss from my super-cute princess?”

Cardia laughs and shakes her head before looking up at the moon. “We both know what your wish was, Impey.”

The final firework explodes in a rainbow of colors, making the sky so bright that for a moment it almost looks like day.

“Yeah... it was, in a way,” Impey takes a deep breath. “Cardia, I’m really glad that we were able to go on this extraordinary voyage together. But... this is only the first, you know?”

Impey gives a wink. “This is only a glimpse of what’s in my future-- what I want to be in our future!”

As the last remnants of Nemo’s spectacle float to the sea, Impey nods. “I want you to go to the moon with me, Cardia. I want you to be there when my dream comes true, because you’ve become a part of it.”

Cardia looks up at Impey, at that confident smile hiding a nervousness in his eyes.

“Of course I’ll go with you, Impey,” says Cardia. “I want us to have our own voyage, too.”

The nervousness in Impey’s expression is replaced by one of childish delight. “Our own voyage to the stars, Cardia-chan! To the moon itself!”

He stands up and eagerly sweeps Cardia into his arms, the water splashing around their feet as he spins her.

“I love you, Cardia Beckford! My angel! My princess!”

“Impey!” Cardia laughs. “I love you too, Impey!” She stops his spinning by wrapping her arms around his neck, making him hold her to his body to close the gap in their height. She kisses him again, deeper this time, girlish passion ignited by Impey’s smile.


	38. Of Fireworks and Gods (EXPLICIT VERSION)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the version of the chapter "Of Fireworks and Gods" that contains explicit sexual content between Nemo and Aronnax. If you do not wish to read this version, please read the previous chapter instead.

A sweet ghost crab slowly waddles across the beach, its little legs skittering in an attempt to get away from me.

“Ah, hold on, there!” I laugh as I scooch after it. “Come on, I’m not going to hurt you!”

Cardia walks over and kneels down in front of the crab, tilting her head to get a closer look at it.

She’s really in her element here, her pale skin practically glowing in the warm sun. She’s in a simple white one piece with a hole cut in the chest. The only decoration the swimsuit needs is provided there by the dazzling horologium.

The crab isn’t quite sure what to do with Cardia blocking its path, but after a moment it begins skittering around her towards the sea.

“Let it go,” I say with a grin. “Little thing’s probably half-scared to death.”

“It was kind of cute,” says Cardia.

“I love crabs,” I say. “It’s such a weird thing to say, but the way they walk is so adorable.”

Cardia turns to watch it go.

“They’re all bow-legged and cute, waddling without even facing straight...” I cross my arms. “Actually, thinking about it, they almost remind me of Nemo.”

“Huh...” Cardia narrows her eyes and watches the crustacean skitter through the sand. “I guess... I didn’t think of it like that.”

“Woah, watch out, little guy!” Barbicane does a strange sort of do-si-do to avoid stepping on the crab. He grins and gives it a wave before heading over to us.

“Did you finish buying supplies?” asks Cardia.

“Supplies? Man, I don’t want to talk about that. Shopping with Nemo is a nightmare I don’t want to re-live anytime soon,” Barbicane shakes his head. “But what’s important is that I’m here now and my princess looks absolutely stunning!”

Cardia stands up and dusts some sand off of her legs before smiling. “Thank you, Impey.”

“Ahhh, I can’t take it! I’m going to dive into the water right now and find a pearl for you!”

But before Barbicane can run towards the ocean, I cry out for him to stop.

“The sun’s setting,” I say. “It’s not safe to swim now. The sharks are getting ready to feed.”

“Guess I wouldn’t want to interrupt their dinner time, huh?” Barbicane smiles before sitting down on the beach. “That’s right, you get pretty creeped out by sharks, don’t you?”

Barbicane looks my way and grins. “Kind of funny, isn’t it? That a marine biologist is scared of sharks?”

I frown. “It makes perfect sense. I know what they’re capable of.”

"Uh-huh, sure."

Cardia walks over and sits down next to Barbicane, and the three of us watch the sun slowly melt into the sea.

It takes a little too long, but I finally realize what a third wheel I’m becoming. The two of them look so cute sitting next to each other.

But as soon as I stand up, I hear an explosion in the distance.

“What was that?!”

Barbicane is also on his feet, scanning the horizon for enemies or airships.

“Oh...!” Cardia gasps as dozens of hues light the sky.

The sky is blooming in a bouquet of fireworks.

“A beautiful display...” I murmur before a smile stretches over my face. “Worthy of the greatest love confession the world has ever seen...”

“Huh?” Barbicane looks over at me.

“You and Cardia should enjoy this,” I say, looking at their faces washed in the golden hues of another burst of fireworks. “Nemo made it for you, after all.”

Barbicane looks back up at the sky and smiles. “That dope...”

“It’s just like him,” says Cardia. She looks up at Barbicane and tugs on his hand.

Barbicane looks down at her with a grin that looks rather sheepish before sitting back down in the sand next to her.

I decide to quietly head back to the cabin to give them some time alone.

\-----

Though the spectacle of lights would be enough for most people, Impey is instead watching the look of delight on Cardia’s face as each firework blossoms in the sky.

“It’s so beautiful!” she says with a sigh.

“Yeah...” says Impey, not taking his eyes off of her. The lights in her eyes look like stars, and Impey can’t pull himself away.

“Cardia...” his voice sounds more serious than usual. “I know I’ve only been your boyfriend for a couple of days, but it really feels like we’ve been a pair all this time. All the way back to when I had my face in my precious engine, right? ‘Nice to meet you, cutie! It is I, your very own prince astride a white horse!’ Remember?”

Cardia laughs. “I remember.”

“I’m really kicking myself for not saying anything sooner,” Impey continues. “Maybe if I had, I don’t know... I sure did keep you waiting a long time.”

“I’m a little glad, to be honest,” says Cardia. When she sees Impey’s eyes widen, she smiles. “It gave me the chance to be the one to tell you. You’ve said ‘I love you’ from the very start, and you gave me time to say those words back to you... I’m glad.”

“Cardia-chan...”

Cardia looks back up at the fireworks show, and soon Impey follows her gaze.

“Impey, these fireworks are a bit like shooting stars, aren’t they?”

“Yeah,” Impey continues to look up at them.

Cardia looks up at him and a smile crosses her face. “Impey, you should close your eyes and make a wish.”

“On the fireworks?” Impey looks down at her.

“Yes, just like if they were shooting stars,” says Cardia.

“Okay,” says Impey. “I guess it couldn’t hurt, huh?”

Impey closes his eyes. “I wish... I wish......”

Cardia’s smile brightens when she sees him focusing so hard on his wish. He really believes in it. He really believes that if he tries hard enough, he can ride the stars to make all his wishes come true.

She knows with absolute certainty that she wants to help him make all of his dreams real. She’s absolutely certain as she leans up and gives Impey her first kiss.

Impey twitches in surprise, but he soon melts into the softness of her lips-- a melting that would have been deadly a short time ago. It was worth the wait.

When Cardia pulls back, his eyelashes flutter and he gives her a grin. “How did you know that my wish was to get a kiss from my super-cute princess?”

Cardia laughs and shakes her head before looking up at the moon. “We both know what your wish was, Impey.”

The final firework explodes in a rainbow of colors, making the sky so bright that for a moment it almost looks like day.

“Yeah... it was, in a way,” Impey takes a deep breath. “Cardia, I’m really glad that we were able to go on this extraordinary voyage together. But... this is only the first, you know?”

Impey gives a wink. “This is only a glimpse of what’s in my future-- what I want to be in our future!”

As the last remnants of Nemo’s spectacle float to the sea, Impey nods. “I want you to go to the moon with me, Cardia. I want you to be there when my dream comes true, because you’ve become a part of it.”

Cardia looks up at Impey, at that confident smile hiding a nervousness in his eyes.

“Of course I’ll go with you, Impey,” says Cardia. “I want us to have our own voyage, too.”

The nervousness in Impey’s expression is replaced by one of childish delight. “Our own voyage to the stars, Cardia-chan! To the moon itself!”

He stands up and eagerly sweeps Cardia into his arms, the water splashing around their feet as he spins her.

“I love you, Cardia Beckford! My angel! My princess!”

“Impey!” Cardia laughs. “I love you too, Impey!” She stops his spinning by wrapping her arms around his neck, making him hold her to his body to close the gap in their height. She kisses him again, deeper this time, girlish passion ignited by Impey’s smile.

\-----

“Haaaaaaaaaa---- ha ha ha haaaa--!!”

That familiar laugh accompanies my long walk back to our cabin.

“Yes, yeeeeeeees! The sky is in flames with my paaaaaassioooonnn! Look at how it burns with a love so ardent, so full! This, THIIIIIS is the background that your declaration of love needed, Impeeeeeeeeeeey Barbicaaaaaaaaaaaaane--! Now, take your boiling heart and give her your aaaaaaaaall!”

To be honest, I’d feel a little bad if I interrupted his cheering, so I tiptoe down another path towards one of the water pumps. I spent most of my time in the sun today, and I didn’t even take the time to fully wash after Nemo and I had our quick rendezvous this afternoon.

I think both of us were surprised by that burst of passion. For a moment I was even afraid I had managed to tear his sweater! We were in such a hurry to be connected that most of our clothes stayed on, though the sensation of his pants rubbing against me was delicious in its own way.

I could feel him staring at me even though he had his goggles on. Come to think of it, that was the first time we had made love while he was wearing them. It seems so backwards to think about it, but... I really enjoyed it.

The cold water splashing on me brings me back to my senses and keeps me from getting distracted long enough to bathe.

I bend over and pull my bathing suit aside so that I can get the sand and salt off of my body. It would be easier to just take it off, but outside like this...

I’m afraid I’ve been spoiled by the running water of the Harper and Lincoln Island, but getting water from a spigot like this reminds me of when I was younger.

Eventually I shut off the water and make my way back to the cottage. The door is open slightly, and I can see the flickering of lamps inside.

I knock on the doorframe before entering, eager to get this damp bathing suit off.

I wasn’t expecting to see the bed shoved to one side of the room and a long table set up next to it draped in purple sheets.

Well, actually, the purple is the least surprising part of it.

A stool is set up next to the table lined with various bottles that looked more like they belonged in an apothecary ... or perhaps even a church. Less holy were a few items laying nearby, thick and long enough to alert me of their nature.

And the mastermind behind it all is looking idly out a window, his lips curved in an expectant smile from my knock.

If I can ever come up with a coherent reaction to Nemo’s beauty, please be very worried for my sake because there’s probably something very wrong with me.

But, how could I possibly describe what I see before me?

The light of the lamp flickers over his body, which looks practically golden in the dimness. The only thing blocking my heart from stopping is a silky cloth he has tied low around his hips, meant more to tease than to hide.

In addition to the golden studs at his navel, his torso has been additionally decorated with a thin gold chain connecting one nipple to the other. Golden bracelets decorate each wrist, one of them shining with an amethyst dulled only by the mischievous sparkle of his eyes.

He tied his hair back in a high ponytail so his strands of hair tease the small of his back instead of falling to his knees. The violet streak has been tied into a braid and threaded through his ponytail alongside other, smaller braids that add to his decor.

His appearance seems so much simpler than his usual costume, and yet I find myself unable to speak at his gorgeous appearance.

It’s only when he giggles at my expense that I’m jolted back to reality.

“I can waaaaaaaaaait if you need to retrieve your jaw from the floor,” he says. His voice is a stark contrast to the vision before me, but in a strange way it comforts me that he’s still himself. He’s still my Nemo.

Despite that, I still stutter when I speak: “What is all this?”

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about it...” Nemo’s purring in delight with himself as he walks over to me. “But you’ll get chilled if you stand around in this.”

His hand is warm as he cups my cheek. He doesn’t smell like lavender, not this time. He smells musky, like an incense I can’t quite put my finger on.

“Do you need heeeeeelp?” he lilts.

I mutely shake my head, unsure of how else to respond as I shakily begin to take off my bathing suit.

He takes a step back, his eyes lingering on me before he finally turns away to smooth out the sheets on the table.

“You’re getting betteeeeeer about that, you know,” he still sounds absolutely thrilled with himself.

“No, it’s just... clammy, that’s all,” I say, pausing to balance myself before I pull my bathing suit down and off.

“Mmm-hmmm~” he flashes a grin back in my direction, and I feel my body flush. “I would offer you a robe, but... well, if I’m being compleeeetely honest I’d have to take it right back off.”

At this point I’m certain he just enjoys seeing me flush from my cheeks to my shoulders and even farther down.

He leans back against the table, the tip of his tongue hanging out of the corner of his mouth as he looks at me. “Ah, but you asked me a question, diiiiiidn’t you? Why am I doing this~? My deeeear, if there is one truth that rises above all the rest of my truths, it’s that my very soul is completely devoted to the miracles of science!”

I nod.

“You agreeeee, then! I am certainly the most devoted of acolytes that science has, riiiiiiiiiiight?! My soul, my body, my heart-- it’s all for science!”

I nod again, wondering what this has to do with the phallic toys that I can’t help but glance at every now and then.

Nemo’s smile widens as he stands up and hands me a familiar folded piece of paper.

I look down at it, face flushing even more when its works sink into me. “Bride of Science... a mad love story, or the beginning of a scientific revolution...”

I nervously look up at Nemo.

‘Bride’? What could he possibly...

But Nemo cuts off my thoughts by taking one of my hands in his and staring at me. “Science is my world. It is more than just my reason for living, it is my life itself. My heart and soul belong to it compleeeeeetely...”

He lifts my hand to his lips and gently kisses it.

“What does that make you, then?” he murmurs, looking at me through half-lidded eyes. “You, who society has deemed ‘The Bride of Science’...”

I can feel my blood rushing in my ears as Nemo leans over, his expression gentle, even loving.

“W-What does that make me...?” I can’t look away from him. I’m drowning in his beauty, suffocated by the violet of his eyes.

“... A goddess.”

I’m not sure I heard him correctly. I tilt my head, looking for the hint of a smile or a mischievous glint that would show me he was joking.

But his expression holds no lies. When it comes to science, he is as serious as death.

“Yes, Pauline. That would make you a goddess.”

Suddenly enveloped by sheepishness, I take a step back, but Nemo closes the space between us and pulls me to him in a tight embrace. His skin is so warm compared to mine, still chilled from the water.

“I told you... I’m the most devoted servant of science that this Earth has ever seen...!”

He pulls back and gently runs his index finger over my bottom lip.

“Let me show you that devotion. What you’re doing for science is something that I cannooooooooot ignore!”

His voice is becoming heated again.

“Let me-- let me show you how much I adore science with every bit of my soooooul, let me treat you like the goddess of science that hiiiiiistory will remember you as--!”

“Nemo, I’m not a...”

He cuts me off by taking my hand and putting it over his heart.

It’s pounding so hard...

“Yooooou aaaaare!” he smiles down at me with-- just as he said-- devotion. “It’s all right if you don’t see it... but you will feel it. That’s what I’m doing tonight. My body, my heart, my soul itself-- I’m giving it all to you tonight... my beloved Pauline, my goddess...”

His kiss leaves no room for any worry or any doubt. He’s kissing me as though I’m something holy, something sacred... something just for him.

I’m not sure about being holy, let alone a goddess, but there are two facts here that I’m certain of:

The first fact is that I love science. I love how it builds and guides the world that surrounds us, how it influences every aspect of our lives. I love to observe it, I love to study it, I appreciate the knowledge that it has granted me.

The second fact is that I love Nemo. My body, my heart, and my soul already belong to him. If this faithful scientist sees me as a goddess... shouldn’t I use the role to give him back all the love he’s given science?

I wrap my arms around his neck and return his kisses, standing on my tiptoes to reach him better.

He holds me tighter so our bodies are pressed as close together as they could be. Our heartbeats quicken together as he parts his lips to allow my tongue to feel the warmth of his mouth.

He’s breathing raggedly when he pulls back, and I can see from the tented fabric above his crotch just how much he’s enjoying this.

I reach out to touch his stomach when he threads our fingers to stop me, shaking his head with a grin.

“Not yet... I’m going to pleasure you thoooooroughly first,” Nemo’s smile widens as he kisses my fingers. “Now, then. Woooon’t you lie on the table for meeeee?”

“Even as a goddess, you want me to lie down on the slab like an experiment?” I smirk back at him.

Nemo guffaws loudly, hugging his stomach and stomping his feet in delight.

“Oh no, no no no my daaaaaaaarling! No... when I finally get you in my lab, you’ll know exactly what awaits you---! And I can promise you, I won’t ask you nicely to get on the table...”

His expression darkens as he revels in his fantasy. “So many pretty wires to string you up, so many pretty pieces of metal to decorate you with, so many injections I will give you...”

Nemo suddenly straightens up and shakes his head with a frown. “B-But! That’s not noooow! Ah, Polly-chaaaaan you’re so cruel to distract me!”

He’s so adorable. Maybe as his goddess it might be fun to tease him.

I’ll have to try!

“I’m sorry...” I put my hands around one of his that he’s balled into a frustrated fist. “You just get so cute when you talk about your experiments. I couldn’t resist indulging myself just a little bit.”

“Mrph??” Nemo’s eyes widen. It’s so strange to see him blush with embarrassment after declaring me a goddess of science.

I lean up and gingerly take his earlobe into my mouth, slowly tugging and sucking at it.

Nemo lets out a staggered moan as he slumps forward. It feels almost like he’s melting into me.

I pull away and cup his face in my hands. He’s slouched so much that we’re at eye-level and it feels like I’m the only thing holding him up. HIs eyes are half-lidded and he’s staring at me like a puppy, a contented smile on his face.

I kiss that contented smile many times, working from one edge of his lips to the other.

He finally comes out of his daze enough to kiss me back, mumbling in-between each one: “Let-- me-- worship-- you.”

I pull back and guide him to the table before sitting down on it.

“Ahh-- on your stomach, pleeeease--!”

For some reason this request makes me blush, but I do as he asks.

I feel vulnerable like this, with my bare back and buttocks exposed to him. He could do anything to me, and in this position there would be no way for me to stop him.

It makes me nervous, but at the same time I can feel my insides begin to swell in anticipation.

“Hee hee hee~ why so teeeeeense? You aren’t afraid, are you? How cuuuuuute...”

He smooths my hair and pushes it to the side, leaving my shoulders and back bare.

“This is going to be sloooooooooooooooow....” he breathes in my ear. “My love is going to be thorough, making each nerve ending rock until you melt into b-l-i-s-s--! So close your eyes... I want you to concentrate on your breathing...”

I shiver when I feel the tips of his fingers feather-light on the sides of my body. “From the diapraghm... deep and slow... focus on that when you feel you’re about to lose your mind, hmmm~?”

I do as he asks, beginning to breathe slowly.

“Looooouder,” he urges. “I want you to be able to hear yourself. Concentrate on that sound.”

It’s a little embarrassing, but I proceed to breathe vocally enough that the sound envelops me.

“Gooooooooood...”

Nemo bends down and picks up one of the bottles. He takes off the cap and pours a bit of its contents into one of his hands. He watches me, an idle smile crossing his face.

But our patience is worth it, because the oil that he begins to drip down my spine is warm and fragrant.

“Almond...” I whisper.

Nemo leans down and shushes me with a kiss before climbing on me, sitting on my buttocks so he can reach my back easier. His weight is comforting, somehow.

He leans forward and begins to slowly run his fingertips over my skin, spreading the oil until my skin shines under his gaze. Then, he runs his index finger and middle finger down the center of my spine from my neck down to the sacrum right above my buttocks.

I can’t stop a groan escaping my lips when his hands reach that lower part of my spine, and I can practically hear Nemo smile. He rewards my body’s honesty by lightly rubbing my lower back, slowly increasing his power and massaging deeper until he’s kneading my skin expertly.

Then he goes back to my neck and does the same, slowly trailing downward until the entirety of my spine has been lovingly tended to.

Then his fingers move outwards, to my shoulders and shoulder blades and down farther. No part of my body is being ignored. He even lightly rubs oil into my arms, and my fingers feel heavy as he kisses up and down the length of each one.

I feel disappointed when the warmth of his body leaves me, but that turns into surprise when he picks up one of my feet and begins to massage its tired muscles. I can feel the joints popping with each gentle push, followed by my masseuse giggling.

My ankles are next, with him rubbing his thumb over the bone and kissing it before raking his hands up over my calves.

I give a low moan as he begins to deeply knead his fingers into my calves, tight from stress.

He spreads my legs, and I eagerly try to lift my hips, only for him to push them back down as he begins to give his attention to my inner thighs instead.

I don’t know whether his thumb barely touching my vulva is intentional or not as he moves upwards and dribbles more oil onto my buttocks. His touch alternates from firm to gentle as he kneads me, stopping only when he sees how I’m balling my hands into fists. He turns his attention to them, rubbing my palms with his thumbs until I settle down again.

“You tease...” I murmur into the fabric.

“Don’t misunderstaaaaaaaand...” Nemo shakes his head. “I’m not doing this to induce orgasm, you knooooow... there are so many other kinds of energy that your body builds up from stress... so many ways to release it. Orgasm is only one of them...”

He swings one of his legs over me again and settles down, leaning forward to rub my shoulder blades and up higher.

“So many knots, you seeeee? So much tension...”

I haven’t really stopped groaning, my breath hitching as his fingers work into each knot.

“Breeeeeeeathe...” he leans down so his lips are hovering above my neck. “Don’t forget to breathe...”

But my breathing melts into a whine as Nemo climbs off of me again.

“I’m going to roll you onto your back,” he says.

“I can do it...” but my body feels heavy, like my muscles have been massaged into a stupor.

“Mmm-hmmm...” Nemo grins as he slowly rolls me onto my back, straightening up the sheets beneath me.

He cups more oil in his hand, letting his skin warm it before he pours it over my sternum, watching as it trickles down to my stomach-- and my stomach is exactly where he touches me first.

I’m surprised at how I jolt at his fingertips grazing my stomach.

“Sensitiiiiiiive?” he grins. “It’s not surprising, the stomach is often a sadly-ignored body part. Such a shaaaaame... it responds so nicely to kisses....”

He lowers himself and presses his lips to my stomach.

“It’s embarrassing--!” I gasp.

“Breathe,” he orders, his voice dark. When he hears my deep breathing resume, he moves his mouth in time with my diaphragm swelling with each breath. “What a silly thing to be embarrassed about... your stomach is so soft...”

He turns his head and lays his cheek on it, smiling as his head moves up and down with each breath. “So soft... and it smells so sweet with this oil...”

Nemo straightens back up and begins to rub his fingers over my stomach and up, tracing the edges of my ribcage and back down to my pelvic bone with soft, grazing touches.

He roams his hands up the sides of my body and neck until he holds my head, gently rubbing my jawbone and neck with his thumbs.

He slowly traces over my collarbone and lower before he cups the sides of my breasts, supporting them in the palms of his hand.

“These are heavy, too aren’t theeeey...” he murmurs. “Especially with you lying on your back.....”

His hands feel so warm, it feels nice with him holding me like this. It’s a little disappointing as he pulls back to get more oil.

But the sensation of the droplets on my breasts are nice, almost as nice as the feeling of his hands beginning to slowly knead them. He teases around my areola, refusing to touch them in lieu of the rest of my breasts. Even when he takes a slow handful, he makes sure that his fingers don’t touch that sensitive center.

And yet, even without that direct stimulation, my nipples grow hard.

“Your body’s being honest with me... I’m so glaaaad...”

“Please kiss them, please...”

Nemo has a way of giving me what I want while holding back from granting my desires. He kisses my breasts, gently sucking on every inch of their flesh except for my nipples.

This strange combination of teasing and spoiling me is having a wonderful effect on my body, though. Without realizing it, I’ve begun lifting my hips off of the table, and Nemo finally stretches his hand down to rub my pelvic bone.

I’m not sure it could be called an orgasm without direct genital contact, but my body begins to throb and rock under his attention. Noticing this, Nemo takes one of my hard nipples in his mouth and begins to suck, burying his nose in my skin to inhale its scent as his free hand kneads my twitching pelvis.

The pleasure is enveloping my body in gentle waves, and Nemo holds me until the throbbing dies down.

“What... what was that?” I murmur.

Nemo tugs my nipple upward before releasing it from his mouth with a ‘pop’ and grinning at me. “What did it feeeeeeeel like~?”

I shake my head. “An... orgasm? But, without even touching my...”

“Treated like this, the entire body can become an erogenous zone,” his smile widens. “This is just the beginning, though!”

He begins to knead my breasts more forcefully now, rubbing one of my nipples in-between his thumb and forefinger. “Did you know that nipple stimulation can release oxytociiiiin~? That’s why it feels so good to get these played with...”

“Really?” I smile before reaching out to gently pull on the chain connecting his nipples. “Is that the case for men, too?”

Nemo’s reaction surprises me as he arches his back, a thin trail of saliva dripping down his chin as he lets out a shuddering moan.

“It’s-- it’s been too loooong since I’ve worn thiiiis....” he hisses as his torso begins to twitch. “I-It feels gooood...”

I watch with wide eyes as he begins to buck his hips and a wet spot appears on his fabric from pre-seminal fluid.

He’s really turned on from all this!

I sit up and begin to pull him in closer by his chain, but he puts his trembling hands on my shoulders and gently pushes me back down to the table.

He breathes deeply, biting his lip as he fights to compose himself.

It’d be so easy to reach out and give him relief with only a few strokes, but I obey his wishes and instead quietly watch as he regains control of his body.

“Not bad, my daaaarling...” he purrs. “But I’m not doooone with my worship yet. I haven’t even gotten to the most sacred part of your body...”

My vulva throbs at his words, and doesn’t stop as he puts his hands back on my torso, massaging me with the heels of his palm, slowly trailing down lower until he’s rubbing my hips in slow circles.

Then, he gently pulls one leg aside and then the other, exposing my genitals to his gaze. I wonder if he can see how I’m throbbing for him.

He begins rubbing my inner thighs again and bringing his fingers up to my pelvis. He’s kneading it so deeply that I can feel him stimulating the nerves of my clitoris.

He takes the bottle and holds it over me before turning it over, letting a steady stream of oil pour out.

When it makes contact with my vulva, I arch my back in delight. He giggles and watches the oil spread between my legs, making my skin shine for him.

When he puts the bottle away, I close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing. There’s so much oil on me now that my skin sounds slick when he begins to trail his fingers in slow circles around my vulva.

I’m surprised I don’t explode when he finally touches it, taking one of my outer lips in his palm and giving it a slow squeeze, rubbing me slowly up and down as though my lip were a shaft.

He soon does this to its mate, both of his hands working on my labia as though he was trying to milk me.

My eyelids flutter, but I know that if I see him doing this to me I would orgasm again.

I only open my eyes when he pulls his hands away, and I arch my hips pleadingly for him.

He laughs and leans down lower so he can get a better look at me. He brings his hands in deeper and gives the same slow massage to my inner lips with his thumb and forefinger, rubbing them up and down until I’m slick with my own lubrication as well as the almond oil.

His fingers hover over my entrance before a wicked smile crosses his face.

“I wonder how powerful your vaginal contractions will be when I finally pay attention to that engorged little button of yours...”

I just moan and spread my legs wider for him.

“I have an ideeeeaaaa...” he kisses my pelvic bone before leaning down to pick up one of the toys he’s bought. It looks like it’s been carved out of stone. It isn’t styled to look like a penis, but it’s curved beautifully for both vaginal and prostate stimulation.

“I want you to feel the power of your orgasm on something niiiice and stiiiiff... stiffer than even me...”

He glances down at his own erection with a smirk.

“Nemo, I don’t think anything could feel as good as you do...”

“Hee hee, how sweet of you to say...” but he ignores my request, making the toy slick with oil before rubbing it against my vaginal entrance. “All ready, love~? Here we goooo...”

His smile widens as he slides the stone inside. I’m so engorged that I feel like I could swallow it whole!

“There we are...” his voice is low. “I wonder if you’ll squeeeeeze it so hard it’ll be pushed out...? Hee----hehehehe!”

I look away from him, suddenly ashamed, but he turns me back with his fingertips on my cheek.

He looks delighted, eyes sparkling with a mischievous warmth. “I want to see it all-- I want to see how good you feeeeel!”

He kisses me and playfully gives the toy a few thrusts, making my toes curl. Then he pulls back and gets back down between my legs to continue his loving massage.

Nemo rubs his index fingers on the sensitive skin beside my clitoris, only moving in to squeeze it when I begin to pant.

“Breeeeathe...” he instructs. “Let the gift of my pleasure wash over you...”

I try to concentrate on my breathing, even as I bite my lip when he begins to circle the tip of my clitoris with his pinkie. My breathing becomes ragged as he begins to stroke it as though it were a penis before he finally takes it between his fingers and tugs on it.

Nemo’s right... my vaginal walls are squeezing onto the phallus so tightly that it begins to be pushed out. I shudder as Nemo lets it fall to the floor and replaces it with two of his fingers, curved just right.

“Riiiiiiiiight... aboooout.... heeeeere...” his fingers curve and rub against a spongier part of my flesh, and I begin to rock my hips in time with his motions.

“Nemo...” I begin to moan. “I can’t hold it back...”

“Then let it happeeeen...” he says with a grin. “Reward me for my devotiooooon!!”

I run my fingers through my hair, and even my scalp tingles with arousal as Nemo squeezes my clitoris between his index and middle finger and laps at the engorged tip.

As ashamed as a part of me might be, I love the slick sound of Nemo’s fingers inside of me, and I hold my breath to envelop myself in those sticky noises before I’m brought over the edge.

It’s like waves are running through me again, every nerve of my body throbbing as my body convulses in pleasure.

Nemo works his fingers with my rocking so my insides are rubbed perfectly, and I give a final mighty buck before I sink back to the table, sated.

“Hmm~ hee hee hee! My, I had heard that this was possible, but I thought it was only a ruuuumor...”

“Hm?” I look down at Nemo before wincing as his finger runs from my clitoris down past my urethra.

“A clear, whitish fluid expelled by the peri-urethral glands upon a vaginal orgasm... my, my, to think you’d ejaculate juuust-- for-- mee--!”

He pulls his fingers back to examine the wetness on them before slowly running his tongue over them. “Such a sweeeeeet reward~!”

As Nemo distracts himself by sucking my ejaculate off of his fingers, I sit up and slowly begin to get off of the table. My legs wobble, but I manage to stand and walk over to where Nemo is kneeling.

“Hrm?” he looks up at me with a confused expression. “Didn’t I do a good job...?”

I smile down at him. “You did a wonderful job, my sweet scientist...”

He beams at the compliment.

“There’s just one more thing I want, my darling, and then I’ll let you rest.”

Nemo tilts his head, then yelps in surprise as I lean down and gently push him to the floor.

His erection is standing tall, straining against the fabric that constrains it. With trembling, eager fingers I untie his sash, licking my lips as his penis is released.

“That toy was fun...” I murmur. “And your fingers are amazing. When I think of the things they’re capable of, it makes my insides throb, but still-- Nemo...”

I wrap my fingers around his shaft before taking the bottle of oil and emptying it on his penis and stomach. Though my fingers aren’t as skilled as his, I rub my hands over his torso, salivating as his skin begins to shine in the lamplight.

“Nemo, I want us to be joined again... you’ll let your goddess have this, right? I want us to move together, to feel good together! Please, Nemo, I want us to be one...”

Nemo stares up at me in amazement as a doofy smile overtakes his face.

“O-Of course, whenever-- whenever you want-- I just... we dooooo have a bed, you know...”

I laugh. “I just can’t wait! It looks too good...”

I climb onto him and rub his engorged tip against my entrance, the both of us sighing sweetly as I slowly rock my hips from side to side.

I squeeze his shoulder and lock eyes with him as I slide him inside of me and settle down on top of him.

“You’re... you’re really twitching, aren’t you?” I smile down at him. “Does it feel that good?”

Nemo moans and lifts his hips off the floor in response, making me laugh as I hold onto him so I don’t lose my balance.

“Calm down, my devoted one!” I giggle. “Let me take control now... let me reward you for being such a good, faithful scientist...”

I lean forward and put my hands on his chest to balance myself as I get into a squatting position. It’s easier to make longer strokes propped up like this, and I begin bouncing my buttocks up and down his shaft.

My body keeps on swallowing him easily despite his size, a testament to how aroused he’s made me. And, god, his piercings are so lovingly rubbing my insides! It really is as though his body were made to worship science!

Nemo seems to be enjoying himself too, as he can’t resist thrusting upwards despite my orders. I don’t have it in my heart to berate him, though, his thrusts are so earnest and desperate!

Between my bouncing and his thrusts, our bodies smack and slide together noisily among our moans and cries of encouragement to one another.

“Let me-- let me know when you’re about to fire--!” I say to him with a grin. “I want to see... I want to see how far this gun of yours can shoot!”

I shriek with laughter as Nemo suddenly sits up and kisses me, still pumping his hips desperately.

“Anythiiiiing--” he moans in-between kisses. “I’ll-- I’ll give you a--ny--thiiing--!”

“Then be a good boy!” I laugh as I shove him back down to the floor and increase the speed of my thrusts. “Be a good boy and hold... hold on...!”

I bite my lip and begin to tremble as my body convulses with my third orgasm of the night. I can’t stop myself from whimpering, but my body is rigid and can’t move.

But Nemo can read my body language, and he digs his fingers into my hips and starts thrusting again.

My moan sounds more like a heated yowl as he rides my orgasm, and his timing is almost too perfect as I feel his penis begin its telltale throbbing as I calm down.

I quickly get off of him and begin to lovingly pump him, watching his veins throb as his scrotum tightens in preparation of his orgasm.

His shrill moan reverberates throughout the room as his first spurt of semen arcs far up and over his head, splattering the purple sheets hanging off of the table.

Nemo curses as his second spurt lands on his face, dribbling down his eyelashes and nose. He helplessly licks his lips in frustration, his body still trembling as his third and fourth spurts decorate his chest and stomach, droplets hanging from his gold chain like pearls.

“Ohh--” I lick my lips. “That IS impressive...!”

Five... six... seven... eight... the rest of his ejaculation pools on his stomach and dribbles down his penis, making my hands slick as my rubbing slows down.

Laying on the floor like this, his hair streaming behind him and white cream dripping down his body... Nemo really is a vision.

I crawl up next to him and lower my head to run my tongue over his chest, tasting my prize.

“G-Geez....” Nemo’s voice is ragged. “Let me... have a taste, too...”

I wink at him before slurping up a mouthful of his semen from his stomach. As tempted as I am to swallow it, I instead put my mouth over his and share it with him.

When I pull back, I can’t stop myself from laughing at the look of disgust on his face as he swallows.

“Uuggghhhh...!” he gags and sputters. “That’s horrible, Polly-chaaaan, howww?!?! You make it look so goooood--!!”

I laugh and kiss the top of his head, “It’s okay, Nemo! I’ll get you some water. Don’t choke!”

“In the-- in the corner of the room, I brought us a bucket, just-- hurry! It tastes AAAAAAAAWFUUUUUUUL!!!”

The sexy afterglow is ruined as Nemo kicks his feet in frustration, shuddering in horror at his own flavor.

“Don’t be so dramatic!” I laugh as I pick up the pail of clean water and bring it over to him. “It’s proof of your love for science, isn’t it?”

He quickly brings the entire bucket to his lips and takes down gulps of water, pausing only to sputter: “It’s proof that I need to drink less cooooffeeeee! Uuuuuuuggghhhhh!!!”

“If you’re not careful, you’ll drip into the water and end up tasting it all over again,” I gently rub his back before running my fingers down his chest to taste a little more myself.

It really isn’t bad... I shrug as I clean off my fingers.

“Ugghhh, I think your love-power has dulled your taaaaaaaaste buuuds...”

“You poor thing...” I shake my head. “Was that really your first time tasting yourself...?”

Nemo squints, thinking about it while humming loudly. “Since.... the Nauuutilus... anyway...”

A mischievous grin spreads over my face. “Oh? You’ll have to tell me all about THAT adventure...”

Nemo shakes his head before standing up and hobbling to the door.

“Um, Nemo, your clothes...?”

He shakes his head again.

“I’m getting cleaned off,” he mutters.

“Wait--!” I stumble to my feet as well and wrap one of the sheets on the table around my body before grabbing his cloth and running after him.

His shoulders are shaking with laughter as I hug him from behind to tie the wrap around his hips again. Once that’s done, I rest my hands on his stomach and listen to him breathe.

“That was wonderful...” I sigh. “You really made me feel like a... a...”

I bury my head in his shoulder, unable to make myself say it.

Nemo threads his fingers with mine before beginning to walk ahead, pulling me with him.

“Of course~!” he lilts. “Pauline, this is juuuuust the beginning! For the rest of our lives, I want to show you the magnificence of love! Of passion! And, of course, of cooooourse most importantly: SCIIIIIEEEENNNCEEE!”

He shrieks to the heavens before coughing again, doubling over. “UGHH that disgusting taste--!”

I rub his back as the two of us stumble towards the water pump.


	39. Fishing for Saints

I’m surprised when I still feel Nemo in my arms. He usually wakes up before I do, but there he is-- with his head between my breasts and his mouth wide open in a contented snore.

He looks so cute like this, not a care in the world. I wish I could stay here and watch him sleep so deeply, but I don’t want to miss the ocean at dawn. That’s when fish feed, and I hope to see a lot of them there! 

But... Nemo’s loving grip is an iron one. I try to shift away, but he pulls me back to him and nuzzles into my skin, mumbling something deliriously.

“Nemo...” 

When I try to escape again, he responds by draping one of his legs over my body and clinging to me like some kind of deranged koala.

“Nemo.” My voice is louder this time. 

He jolts and furrows his eyebrows, making a sound not unlike an unhappy cat: “Mmmrrpphhh...?” 

“I have to go do research,” I say.

His frown deepens in confusion.

“Science. I have to do science.” 

“Sciiieeennceeee....” his frown turns into a sleepy grin as he releases me and rolls over.

He sits up like he’s about to get out of bed, but he can barely take his goggles from the nightstand before he slumps back over in a snore.

To fall asleep even at the prospect of science... he must be absolutely exhausted after last night.

I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing as I gently take his goggles and put them back on the table. Then I smooth his hair out and give him a kiss on the cheek. 

“I love you, my genius.”

His snore hitches in his throat like he had heard me, but I get out of bed before he can grab me again.

With a grin I quickly get dressed and grab my journal. I take one last look at my sleeping lover before I walk outside.

The sun hasn’t even risen yet and it’s already so humid! A part of me wants to go back and put on my bathing suit, but I know that if I go back inside the cabin... nothing could keep me from Nemo’s arms.

So I twist my hair back and decide to brave the heat! Besides, seeing the beaches of Argentina at sunrise will surely be worth the sweat.

But there’s already another tourist at the beach. He looks over his shoulder at me with a light smile on his face. 

“Ah, so you’re awake.” 

I shake my head, unsure of what I’m seeing.

“Count...?” I squint. 

Standing before me is the Count of Saint-Germain, who had most certainly been in London a little over a week ago, for that is when we had last spoken via aether transmitter.

“What are you doing in Argentina...?” 

“Is it that surprising?” his laugh is gentle. “Maybe I just wanted to watch the perfect sunrise.” 

I quietly make my way to the dock and stand next to him, looking out over the water. Every now and then I glance in his direction, trying to figure out how to phrase this question. Instead, I make it a statement.

“It’s highly unlikely that you arrived here by chance.”

“That it is,” the Count gives a smile. “But, chance or not, here I stand.” 

I continue to look at him, but it’s clear that he doesn’t plan on explaining himself. I’ve picked too many battles already, and I decide that it would be in my best interest to leave the Count’s mysteries alone.

But, I allow myself one more question: “Are you here to see Cardia?”

“No,” he shakes his head. “I’m here to speak with you, Professor Aronnax.”

“Me?” my eyes widen. “Why me?”

“Perhaps we should take a boat on the water. You’re here to observe the fish, aren’t you?”

“Are you.... inviting me on a fishing trip, Count?” I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow.

The Count looks a little shocked, but then he lets out a delighted chuckle.

“My, it’s been awhile since I’ve done anything so quaint! I think it would be very enjoyable.” 

I wasn’t being serious, but I can only stare as he walks over to some of the fishermen. He has none of the trouble speaking their language (money), and he quickly procures a pair of fishing rods and a bucket of ballyhoo for bait.

“Your boat is nearby, right?” 

I silently point to where we’ve tied our boat and it isn’t long before the Count has us on the water, rods baited and ready. 

It all happened so quickly, I feel like if I blink I’ll be back on the beach, alone and looking over the water. How did I get out here, anyway? 

But instead I’m watching this elegant man casting a line in the water.

“This morning is full of surprises...” I murmur.

“Oh? Do I not look like an angler?” The Count smiles as he almost instantly gets a bite and begins bringing it in. 

“Well...”

I look at the Count, who’s still dressed like he belongs in Buckingham Palace.

“I guess I just wasn’t expecting it-- woah!” my thoughts are cut off as the Count gives a mighty pull and a _Micropogonias undulatus_ \-- Atlantic croaker-- arcs through the air into our boat. It’s probably 20 inches long! 

I stare, slack-jawed. “That’s incredible, Count!”

The Count just chuckles. “I’ve had some experience fishing. Did you want to sketch it before I release it?” 

“Oh! Of course!” 

I quickly grab my journal and begin to sketch the fish wriggling in the Count’s grip.

But I can’t stop myself from asking: “Why did you need to speak with me?”

“Ah, oh dear...” The Count only looks mildly surprised as the fish wiggles out of his grasp and falls into the sea. “It’s a real shame to go to such trouble for something only for it to slip from your grasp. But just like that, it’s gone. That’s why you must always be ready to fight for the things you love.”

I narrow my eyes and push my glasses back up the ridge of my nose.

“With all due respect, my Lord, I am not an English professor. I prefer for metaphors to be kept out of my line of work.”  

“Oh my, no need for such formalities. Please excuse me, then,” the Count laughs lightly. “Allow me to speak plainly, then. I’m afraid I’ve come to tell you that something will be happening soon. Something that will put you in danger.”

“Is it Conseil?” I lean forward in the boat.

The Count shakes his head. “No. I’m certain he could be dispatched by one of your partner’s bombs quite easily.” 

I shudder.

“I’m not able to go into much detail, but it turns out that Aleister is involved with something quite dangerous, and that danger is trying to find you.”

“Find me? But why me? ” I ask. “I need more information, Count. What’s stopping you from saying more?”

The Count looks at me, his silence saying more than words ever could. 

“Okay...” I nod, pausing to rub my temples. “What, exactly, are you able to tell me then?” 

“Aleister said that your submarine will bring a new dawn to London, and he’s exactly right. Though its danger is not as obvious as the Nautilus’, a craft like that could greatly impact the harbors of the world. Not only that, but with its technology in their hands, I’m certain it would only be a matter of time before greater, more dangerous vessels were built... especially if he collects the architect.”

“Nemo?” I sit up straight, my fingers trembling as though the Count’s words had electrocuted me. “He intends to ‘collect’ Nemo?! You said ‘they’-- who is with Aleister?!” 

But the Count just shakes his head. 

“It has been determined that the path this threat would set the world on... is not catastrophic enough to allow me to intervene.” 

I can’t hide my puzzled expression.

“I’m only telling you this because I want you to protect Cardia and Impey where I cannot,” the Count continues. “I will continue to help however I can, and if you succeed in delivering my friends back to London safely, then in return I guarantee that Nemo will be granted a full pardon.”

My eyes widen. “You... can really do that?” 

The Count’s cryptic smile returns. “As I’m sure you’ve begun to guess, I have many useful abilities and connections. Having your beau pardoned would be nothing to me if it meant the safety of my friends.”

I look out at the sun peeking over the horizon, contemplating what I’ve just heard.

“I would protect Barbicane and Cardia even without that promise,” I say. “I’ll protect all of them, no matter what Aleister does.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” the Count’s smile looks... gentler, somehow. “I do truly wish you and that odd fellow the greatest happiness.” 

“That means a lot to me, Count,” I say. “And... I don’t know what you’re dealing with, but... thank you for telling me as much as you did.” 

“Ah, but I did let go of your lovely specimen. Shall I catch you another one?” 

I shake my head.

“I appreciate it, but after your warning...” I look away. “I feel like I need to go back to Nemo. I have to warn everyone.”

“Yes, about that...” The Count’s smile doesn’t change. “Grant me one last favor by not mentioning my visit to your beau. I wouldn’t want him to get any... ideas... about my visit.”

I nod, though I’m not quite sure what he means. 

“Ah, it’s like he knew we were discussing him...” 

The Count nods towards the beach and I turn around to see Nemo looking around.

“It doesn’t look like he’s seen us yet, if you’d like to...” I turn back to where the Count of Saint-Germain had been seated, but he was no longer there. In his place was a wriggling fish, perhaps the same fish that had fallen into the sea only a few minutes prior. 

I feel sick to my stomach when I see it, so I release it with a shudder.

Who is that man, exactly? 

I swallow away my curiosity and shake my head-- that is not my story to tell. Instead I take the oars and begin to row back to my story, to the man who finally spots me and waves with a wide smile.

I can’t even make it back to the beach before Nemo begins wading out in the water towards me. 

“Ah, wait--!” I try to wave Nemo back. “If you wait just a minute, I’ll hit shore and--!” 

But Nemo’s already by the boat, up to his waist in the water, hugging me tightly. 

“Oh, Nemo...” I thread my fingers through his hair and hold him close to me-- hoping-- hoping if I keep him close enough, Aleister won’t be able to take him from me. “Nemo, if you had just waited...” 

“I couuuuuuuuuuldn’t,” he says with a giggle. “I reeeaaaliiized this morning...” 

I close my eyes as he gently pets my hair. 

“I just haaaate sleeping without you next to meeee....” 

“You big baby!” I laugh and pull away, cupping his jaw in my hand. “I guess I’ll just always have to stay with you, won’t I?”

His grin widens. “Guess sooooo--!” 

He reaches into the boat and helps me swing my legs over the side.

Ignoring any protest I might have attempted, he picks me up so I’m looking down at him from above. With a sheepish smile I drape my arms around his neck and wrap my legs around his torso, closing any gap that might have existed between our bodies.

The morning sun glints beautifully off of his goggles as I lean down and kiss him. 

“I wish I could kiss you with my whole body,” I murmur against his lips. “I wish...” 

I pause when I feel his body tremble. 

“A-Aahhh...” he stammers. “I caaaaan’t---!” 

His body gives out and both of us crash into the water with a spectacular splash.

After a few seconds of figuring out which way is ‘up’, both of us manage to break the surface of the water, gurgling and choking.

“Y-You all right?” I pat Nemo’s back as he coughs. 

He eventually nods and gives me a weak smile. He looks so pathetic that I can’t help but laugh, though it soon turns into a sputtering cough of my own.

Cardia and Barbicane are staring at us as we slosh towards the beach, dragging the boat behind us.

“Getting started early, huh?” Barbicane says as he helps us get the boat onto the sand. “Were you trying to catch us breakfast, Polly-chan?” 

“No, I was just...” I look back out at the sea, thinking about the Count again. “I have some information from London. I need to talk to the three of you about something very important.” 


	40. The Great White Hunter and the Lost Boy

“Nemo, you can’t strip on the middle of the beach!”

The scientist in question undoes his belt and tosses it behind him, where it lands elegantly on Barbicane’s head as he tries to run after him. Barbicane rips it off and flings it behind him, where I catch it just like I have the rest of Nemo’s wardrobe.

“Can we not do this right now?” I worriedly walk after the two men. “I told you, I have something very important to discuss with you!”

“Certainly, ceeertainlyy! Just give me a mooooment...”

“WHAT THE--” Barbicane ducks as one of Nemo’s boots goes flying at his face.

I look helplessly at Cardia, and she smiles before stomping ahead. She grabs onto Nemo’s hair with one hand and Barbicane’s braid with the other.

Both men are yanked backwards and fall to the ground, staring up at Cardia as they flail like two small children.

“Pauline?” Cardia looks back at me. “They should be behaving better now.”

I quickly walk around the group and look down at them.

“I heard from the others in London,” I pause to take a breath. “We’re in danger.”

Barbicane and Nemo’s goofy expressions drain into gloom.

Cardia, who had been smirking mischievously at her corralling of the boys, grows serious as she asks: “Is it Victoria?”

I shake my head and begin to explain what the Count had told me as best I could (without divulging his identity, of course). Aleister and whoever he’s working with might use the Harper as a weapon. They might ‘collect’ Nemo to develop even more dangerous things. Finally, for whatever reason, they’re also after me.

Cardia quickly helps Barbicane to his feet and looks at me. “Let’s discuss this inside our cabin. It’ll be safer there.”

...

It isn’t safer there.

“Ahoy!” Ned Land waves to us from where he’s seated on the cabin porch. “Knew you’d come around if I stuck around long enough.”

Cardia doesn’t hesitate, quickly moving into the fighting stance taught to her by the Human Weapon.

Nemo follows suit, striking an elaborate pose while holding onto a handful of soggy bombs he produced from his pocket. ... I doubt they’ll be effective, and he looks a little silly without most of his clothes on, but the threat is there at least.

Barbicane is the only one who doesn’t take on a threatening pose. He only frowns at Ned Land’s harpoon resting on the porch, glinting malevolently in the sunshine.

But Ned doesn’t move to grab it. Instead he just looks at the four of us before furrowing his eyebrows. “Huh? Conseil’s not with you? Dangit!”

Ned has no reaction to either Cardia or Nemo’s battle-ready poses.

“He said he wanted to go on ahead to find his professor. I told him he should’ve just stuck with me-- I can smell my prey for miles.”

Nemo frowns before leaning down to sniff himself. 

Cardia glances sideways over at Nemo. “I don’t think he meant literally...”

Nemo nods and hums loudly before sliding back into his extravagant pose.

“Guess I’d better go look for the sweetheart, huh?” Ned climbs to his feet with a grunt and picks up his harpoon, dusting it off. He finally seems to notice Cardia and Nemo’s battle-readiness, but he just tilts his head. “What’s with you two?”

“Preparation,” says Cardia. “After what happened last time we met you, we’re ready.”

“Huh? Oh,” Ned rubs the back of his head. “Yeah, nah, I just came here to let you all know that I’ve caught up with you. It wouldn’t be fun to face you right now, you know?”

“No...” Barbicane shakes his head. “I’m afraid I don’t know.”

“What, really?” Ned tilts his head. “A hunt is only fun when the prey knows that the great hunter is on their trail!” 

He pauses to gesture to Nemo. “I want to enjoy the fear in his eyes when he realizes that he’s about to be impaled on the end of my harpoon!"

Nemo adjusts his goggles with a thoughtful expression. “Thaaaaaaaat might be a problem...”

“So, you were just giving us a heads-up?” Barbicane stares at Ned, dumbfounded.

“Yeah, that’s about the gist of it!” Ned Land flashes a winning grin. “But now I’m a little worried about my sweetheart.”

I finally speak up. “I’m worried, too. Conseil has a tendency to get distracted by specimens--”

“Like apprentice like master, I guess?” Barbicane pipes up.

“-- But if he was looking for me, he would have found me,” I finish.

“Are you thinking about that danger you were warned about?” Cardia’s eyes widen.

I nod.

“Woah, hold on, back up,” Ned shakes his head. “Danger? The only ‘danger’ you all need to be worried about is the great Ned Land!”

Cardia sighs and Barbicane laughs a little nervously. Nemo even goes so far as to pocket his bombs.

“Yeah, uh, you’re not really on our radar compared to all the other stuff going on,” Barbicane slowly admits.

Ned scowls, but after a moment of his pouting, he looks at me with a worried expression. “You think something happened to Conseil? I mean, it’s been an hour, but I thought maybe he just found a nice hermit crab or something.”

“Liiiiiike master liiiiiiike apprentice...” it’s Nemo’s turn to muse this time.

“We just came from the beach,” I say. “We didn’t see him there.”

I see Ned Land’s knuckles go white as he grips his harpoon. “Tell me about the danger you were talkin’ about.”

“I’ll explain while we search,” I say. “Even if Conseil wrong about my situation, I refuse to abandon him now. I--”

My speech is interrupted by the sound of wailing.

“A-- A teacher going to rescue her prodigal appreeeeentiiiiice!! R-Rescuing him from the jaws of his own unenlightenment...!” Nemo inhales deeply before sobbing into his hands. “It’s-- it’s so beeeaauuutiiffuuuuuul!”

“Er... is he okay?” Ned points towards Nemo.

“S-Senseeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiii....!!! Isaac-senseeeeeeeiiiI!! I’ll always, always believe in yoooooou...!!”

“No,” Cardia and Barbicane speak simultaneously.

\-----

After Nemo and I get changed into dry clothes, the five of us begin to explore the area. Though Ned tells us that we would cover more land if we got into groups, Cardia argues that we would be easier targets as well.

“So who exactly is this Aleister guy?” Ned Land has his harpoon over his shoulder as he walks beside us, making Barbicane duck every now and then as he swings.

“It’s a long story,” says Cardia.

“Don’t have time for it, then,” says Ned. “But whoever he is, he’s ticked me off for stealing my thunder.”

It quickly becomes clear that Conseil isn’t anywhere on the beach, nor is he in the market.

Ned Land is getting quieter and quieter as we continue our search, gritting his teeth in anger and frustration. His barrel-chested voice could easily rival Nemo’s in volume and bombast, so seeing him settle into quiet is even more frightening than usual.

My spirits have sunk, too, so much so that when Nemo puts a hand on my shoulder I realize just how far I’ve been slouching.

“Nemo...”

He offers me a smile before pulling me against him so we’re walking shoulder-to-shoulder. “Don’t freeeeeet. We’ll find him.”

“Yeah, and, I mean, the trouble might not even be Aleister!” Barbicane offers. “Maybe he’s just lost or something.”

“He can speak Spanish, too,” I say, optimism beginning to glimmer in my chest. “So he’ll be able to communicate, at least.”

“I don’t know,” says Ned Land. “Something doesn’t smell right.”

“I thiiiiiiiink something’s wrong with your nose...” Nemo glances over at Ned.

“Well, I think something’s wrong with your EVERYTHING, so let’s call it even,” Ned fires back.

We eventually decide to head back to the cabins to create a more thorough search plan. On the way back, we stop at the market to pick up a map of the area.

Ned Land suddenly stops and sniffs the air. With a grimace he leaps forward and shoves me away, and I gasp when I feel the air beside my ear get sliced by a bullet.

The people around us scream at the sound of gunfire and begin to panic and run, but it doesn’t affect Cardia as she dashes ahead.

When I look up from the ground, I see her target: a soldier dressed in a long white coat and golden buttons... a uniform far too warm for a place like this.

She quickly jabs her arm out, and I hear the ‘thunk’ of her famous body shot hitting its mark. Soon Impey is next to her, twisting the soldier’s arm so the gun is dropped. It can barely hit the ground, though, before Nemo has it in his hands and has it aimed at the soldier’s face.

Ned helps me to my feet and gives me a nod before taking his harpoon and joining the others, pointing his weapon towards the soldier.

“Who sent you?” asks Cardia, her voice even.

The soldier takes a deep breath before speaking in an accent I don’t recognize: “Professor Aleister sends his regards.”

He suddenly lurches, body spasming as the white mask on his face suddenly bursts into red.

All of us take a step back as the soldier falls to his knees and then slumps on the ground.

Barbicane is quickly down next to him, checking for signs of life even though we already know the truth.

“Oral hemorrhaging...” I whisper.

“He must have been poisoned...” Nemo smiles, and I look away in disgust so I don’t have to see it. “A failsafe... so we can only knoooow what Aleister wants us to knoooow...”

“What Aleister wants us to know?” I ask.

“Mmm-hmmm...” Nemo leans down and begins to search through the soldier’s pockets. He clucks his tongue before pulling out a folded piece of paper written in fine script.

He stands up and gives it a quick search before bounding to me and handing it over like a pleased puppy.

I take a deep breath and look up at Nemo before moving in closer to him, using him to balance my trembling body as I open the paper.

Inside the paper are two photographs, one older and one recently developed:

Cyrene Smith and Conseil, bound and gagged.


	41. Locomotion

Aleister’s instructions were explicit, and the photographs he provided made it clear that he was giving us no room to object.

The hardest part was leaving the Harper behind. I was in tears as we looked out at the water where she rested, waiting for Aleister’s men to take her away.

Nemo, surprisingly, was the one who held it together the best. He squeezed my shoulders reassuringly before pulling me to him.

“Don’t woooorry...” he whispered. “This is Aleister, remember? He’s the one who wanted the Harper to be made in the first place.” Nemo leaned down so he was at eye level with me, his goggles casting a dark hue over his violet eyes. “She’ll be fiiiiiine~.”

“This IS Aleister,” I argued. “That’s exactly why I’m worried! After everything he’s done to you... how can you possibly be so calm?”

Nemo had looked at me then, his pursed lips stretching into a confident grin-- and then he answered me with an audible shrug. “Because I trust my friends!”

I could feel my heart drop into my stomach. Even after he was presented with strict orders and photographs of his fellow scientist and pupil captured, Nemo still called Aleister a friend. It made my heart ache.

.....

It’s been a few hours since we left the train station, giving me plenty of time to mull over our situation. We’re taking a coastal railway to a larger port, where we’ll be boarding an airship. There are no further instructions, and no secrets reveal themselves no matter how many times I scour over the script.

I lean my head back with a sigh, choosing instead to look out the window at the scenery passing us by.

The last time I rode a train was when I was on my way to Steel London. It was so different then... I was nervous, of course, but it was an excited nervous. But now the nerves are gnawing at my stomach. We’re barrelling straight towards Aleister and his twisted goals, whatever they may be.

But a soft weight on my shoulder reminds me that I’m not alone. Nemo shifts so he can rest more comfortably against me, somehow wedged between myself and Ned Land.

Ned had demanded to come. He clutched the photo of Conseil so tightly as he spoke that I was certain he would tear it. We were able to buy another train ticket for him, but there was only standing room.

Nemo had jovially offered Ned Land his seat, saying that he would be happy to take the opportunity to... ah, quoth Nemo: “snuuuuggle with myyyyyy angelfish”.

My cheeks redden from the pet name.

“I still think it isn’t a good idea to sit beside a man who’s threatened to kill you multiple times,” I murmur.

“Promised. I’ve promised to kill him multiple times,” says Ned, squirming uncomfortably in the aisle seat.

“I thiiiiiiink it’s hilaaaaaaarious...” Nemo muses, rubbing his cheek into my shoulder and lifting his knees so he can wrap his arms around them.

“Maybe everyone would be more comfortable if Pauline and I shared a seat,” says Cardia as she leans across the aisle. “Since we’re smaller.”

“Yeah, but you also want to sit next to that weirdo for two days?” asks Barbicane.

“Are you talking about Nemo or Ned?” Cardia looks over at Barbicane.

“Yes,” replies Barbicane, before adding with a dramatic sigh: “Besides, I’d have to sit next to the other weirdo!”

Nemo curls up further against me, leaning his knees towards me and idly kicking Ned in the leg- twice.

“He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he?” asks Ned.

“Probably,” the rest of us reply.

And that’s how Nemo, happy as a clam, gets to sit between his ‘sister’ and his ...... ‘angelfish’.

.....

Much of the trip passes with us filling Ned in on what he needs to know: who Aleister is, what sort of person we’re going up against, things of that nature.

It takes much longer than any of us expect, and we have nasty glares shot our way more than once by the other passengers due to our volume.

“You miiiiiiiiiight be able to lead a horse to water, but you can’t lead an ignoramus from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B’.....” Nemo finally gives a dramatic sigh and stands up, swaying against the train’s movement. “I’m waaaaaaaaaashing my hands of this idiocy. Ciaaaaaaaaao ciao~!”

He quickly lifts my hand and plants a kiss on my knuckles before patting Cardia affectionately on the head and swaggering towards the back of the car for some air.

Ned whistles immediately after we hear the door shut. “Hey, dollface, want to get some quality time with your sweetheart? I want to ask the good professor a question or two.”

Cardia frowns at Ned’s unfortunate nickname, but she stands up and prepares to exchange seats. However, before Ned moves into the aisle, she blocks him in.

“My name is Cardia,” she says.

“I can’t remember all these names,” says Ned. “If you’re not my quarry, I doubt...” his voice disappears as he watches Cardia’s expression. Though she’s facing away from me, I can only imagine the cold fire burning in her eyes to give the ‘Great Hunter’ such a frightened look.

He swallows and offers a sheepish smile. “Um, you said your name was Caroline, right...?”

Cardia crosses her arms but eventually gives him a sigh. “At least you’re trying.”

She lets Ned pass before sitting down next to Impey, who leans in so the two of them are huddled close.

“They’re awfully sweet...” I muse before I suddenly find Ned Land in my face. He’s staring at me closely, dark eyes narrowed.

I put as much polite force into my voice as I can muster: “May I help you, Mr. Land?”

“Oooh, ‘Mr. Land’! Fancy!” Ned plops down in the seat next to me with a confident smile. “Actually, I was just hopin’ to find out what makes you so special.”

He narrows his eyes again and hunches down to stare at me again.

After a moment of him just... staring... I raise an eyebrow and ask. “Special? Are you trying to memorize my face?”

“You know, he found me while he was roamin’ from bar to bar, trying to find someone, anyone to help him. People thought he was crazy to try and go after that sicko that blew up half’a Steel London. But he was frantic. He had to do it to save his precious li’l professor.”

Guilt scalded my heart. Conseil was suffering all that time while I was happily pursuing my research. That my happiness caused Conseil’s anguish makes my stomach turn, especially since we have known each other for such a long time.

“Precious little professor, huh...” I think back on it. “It was more like he was my precious little assistant.”

Ned cocks an eyebrow.

“My grandfather had me hire an assistant when I began pursuing a higher education. Most of my university work was long-distance since I was abroad so often, which made avoiding the strict gender rules easier, especially thanks to my grandfather’s... generous donations.”

I frown deeply. While Victoria’s rule in Great Britain has helped ease the discrimination somewhat, it would still take a long time for education to truly become accessible to all genders-- and even longer for it to become accessible to all classes. It has made engineers like Barbicane, who were able to succeed without formal educations, stand out even more.

But I’m letting myself get sidetracked.

“All that just leads up to the fact that I was sixteen when Conseil joined me. He was only twelve. Just a boy.”

“Woah, hold up!” Barbicane leans over, looking at me with wide eyes. “You didn’t tell me he was such a little guy! That changes everything!”

I nod gravely. “Spending so many of his formative years building himself up as my protector... if only I had been able to see that...”

“No, no, I mean-- man, Polly-chan, you don’t get it?” Barbicane’s practically climbing over Cardia to look at me. “You were probably his first love!”

Not this again... how could I make Barbicane understand?

“Huh? What’re you talkin’ about?”

It’s Ned who finally shoots that theory down.

“My sweetheart isn’t like that, you know?” he tilts his head.

“Isn’t like... what? No, it makes total sense!” Barbicane shakes his head. “Twelve years old, pretty blossom of an employer--”

“He wouldn’t have been interested, man,” Ned barks with laughter. “Boy likes boys’ company!”

Barbicane stares, unblinking.

I can almost visibly see realization seeping into him. It’s rather fascinating, actually. Makes me wish I had been the one to just come out and say it.

“So... Conseil wouldn’t have been...”

“I tried to tell you,” I say.

“But...”

Barbicane sinks back down into his seat, and Cardia comfortingly pats him on the knee.

He finally takes a deep breath. “... Nemo was right?”

“Nemo was right,” replies Cardia.

Barbicane continues to stare ahead blankly.

Ned leans over to me and whispers: “He didn’t catch on to the ‘sweetheart’ thing?”

I try to think of a way to answer, but eventually I just shrug and say: “He’s a genius engineer.”

Ned slowly nods and leans back when I stand up and climb over to the aisle, whispering an apology. Between Ned’s staring and Impey’s theory finally being debunked, I need some air.

I make my way to the back of the car and into the observation car. It’s just as crowded, and the smell of human bodies is overwhelming. I can’t imagine what walking back into our car will be like. I shake my head and glance around before continuing to make my way towards the back.

Next comes the dining car, packed, and finally the sleeping car. None of the snores are loud enough, so I continue my search. Here are the engineers, staring at me with curious expressions as I enter the next car.

“I’m looking for someone,” I say. “He’s, ah... he looks, um...”

The look on my face make them sigh in relief.

“Thank God, can you get him out of the caboose? He won’t listen to any of us.”

I smile despite myself. Nothing sounds quite as dramatic as standing at the back of the train, the wind whipping through your hair as the scenery dissolves into the distance.

“I’ll get him, just give me a minute,” I say as I move past them and enter the caboose. You can really feel the force of the train in this last car, especially with it empty of its usual manpower. It would seem Nemo has the ability to clear people out wherever he goes, poor thing.

I hold onto the ceiling rails for support as I walk towards the exit and slide open the caboose doors. The noise is maddening, and I’m jostled from side to side as I peer outside.

Nemo is absolutely in his element, though I’m wondering how a man who’s usually rather clumsy can look like he’s hanging on with such little effort. The smile on his face is wide, and his hair and clothes are whipping about in the wind like he’s flying.

I’m surprised at how difficult it is for me to hear him, as loud as he is, over the roar of the engine: “Doesn’t it feel increeeeeedible?! This raw power of technologyyyyyyyy---! Even as a pale imitation of Master Isaac’s work in Steel London, still, stiiiiiiiiiiiill---!!”

I yell as loudly as I can, holding onto the door with white knuckles. “It’s dangerous out here, Nemo!”

His grin only widens as he releases one of his hands from the rail and extends it to me. “Care to jooooooin me, darliiiing~?”

“Join you?! This is a new level of crazy!” the wind sucks my voice from my lungs. “Get back in here before you fall!”

He idly looks around as if he’s contemplating it before that smile returns and his tongue lazily lolls from the corner of his mouth. “Come and geeeet me, then~.”

“D-Damnit...” the force of the air is making my eyes water, but I still manage to pry one of my hands from the door in order to reach out towards him.

As soon as our fingertips touch, Nemo grabs my hand and pulls me out to him, bracing me against his body and quickly guiding my hands to the rails.

The train is moving so quickly, I’m getting dizzy from my eyes trying to focus on one spot!

“Feels great, doesn’t iiiiit--?!” as mischievous as he was before, he really looks like an excited little boy now. “Doesn’t it feel powerful, being able to stand here like this?!”

‘With me’. The words aren’t said, but they’re insinuated. They’re always insinuated.

I want to reassure him, but my nerves... all I can do is concentrate on holding onto the rails... and perhaps on keeping the bile down.

“I.. don’t think I’m powerful enough for this...” I manage to gurgle.

Nemo looks at my pale face and his smile disappears, eyebrows shooting upwards as he realizes that the likelihood of me vomiting on him is increasing by the second.

My legs are quaking as he drags me back into the caboose and shuts the door behind him.

My fingers feebly reach up to grab hold of the ceiling bars, but they fall short and I end up clinging to Nemo’s collar instead.

“Heeeey... keep it together, professoooor...”

I lean my head against his chest and keep my eyes closed, using his heartbeat to steady me. He doesn’t smell like lavender, which is surprising, but we had to leave in such a rush that he probably didn’t have time to put it on. His natural scent is metallic and resinous... it’s nice. 

I inhale it deeply before I mumble: “I’m just a little dizzy...”

Nemo rubs my back and hums. “Let’s get you into the sleeping car, then. It doesn’t rock as much as the caboose.”

I shake my head. “It’s full. Let’s get back to our seats, okay?” I smile weakly up at him. “I know you usually rest your head on my chest, but this time... can I use you as a pillow instead?”

Nemo's eyes widen and a blush appears on his cheeks, but he decides to smirk and puts a hand on his hip. “Mmmm, don’t knoooow~ it would take a lot for me to give up my two favorite pillows...”

I take a deep, shuddering breath. “Don’t be an ass or I really will get sick on you.”

Nemo’s grin turns sheepish as he keeps a hand on my back to steady me as we walk back to our seats.


	42. Bomb Appetit

“She’s definitely headed north,” Barbicane puts his hands on his hips and looks up at the large airship tethered nearby.

“Judging from the suppliiiiiies they’re loading... I’d say as far north as the Arctic itseeeeelf... maybe even the poooole...”

“An airship flying over the Arctic?” I look up at Nemo. “Is that commonly done?”

“Mmm~ in theeeeory it should be simple to fly there. The cooler, denser air is ideeeeeeal for airship travel...”

“But the wind and fog can cause issues,” Barbicane continues. “Plus, it’s so isolated, the closest ports would be somewhere in Greenland or even Canada.” 

“What’s up there, anyway?” Ned shrugs. “Just a lot of snow and Santa Claus, right?”

“S-Saaaaaanta Claaaauuuuss--?!?!” Nemo shoots a glare at Ned so deadly that I’m certain his goggles will melt. Joking or not, Ned’s charming density always seems to invoke Nemo’s anger.

“There are lots of different hypotheses about what’s at the North Pole,” says Barbicane. “No one’s ever made it up that far, though... most people use ships in their attempts, sailing up the Arctic Sea... there was one crew that tried, but...”

“Well, I know THAT!” Ned scoffs as if Barbicane had stated something completely obvious. “I’ve been in the Arctic Sea plenty of times! But never the North Pole.”

Cardia looked up at us from her silence and narrowed her eyes. “But why would Aleister take us to the North Pole?”

Nemo gives a shrug. “It’s just a hypooooooothesis.”

But as more supplies are loaded, it looks like that hypothesis might be correct. It isn’t much longer before the five of us are shooed on-board. The three boys eagerly begin pursuing the bridge, but they’re inelegantly shuffled alongside Cardia and myself onto a promenade.

It’s a very nice promenade, with wide windows angled downward to view the surface and plush couches and coffee tables stacked high with various newspapers and pleasure reading.

But... I think they could have stuffed the Pyramid of Giza itself in here and I’d still be staring at four people in various stages of discontent. Cardia is using her feelings of frustration to be productive, taking in her surroundings and planning her next move. Impey Barbicane, always energetic, is not one to let something like this get him down. He’s also plotting, but doing so with a big smile, and taking the time to let Cardia know that he’ll keep her safe, no matter what. ... I have a feeling that, in this case, she would be the one keeping him safe. She’s as cool as ever.

Following that are two fine examples of, ah... hm. How should I describe what I’m seeing before me? ‘Human battering rams’ would be a good way to start. Both Nemo and Ned have their shoulders hunched and are slamming into the locked door of the promenade. ... It looks like the former might be better at shouting the door down than making any progress with his bony-- oh, that looks like it hurt!

I run over to Nemo, who stumbles back and glares at the door while clutching his shoulder.

“Fooooools! Unenlightened barbaaaaaaaaarians! How DAAAAAAAARE you keep this great scientist chaiiiiiined--”

I gently touch his shoulder. “Does it hurt?”

Nemo blinks a few times before looking down at me and offering me a quick grin. “Mm-mm~ fiiiiine fiiiiine~!”

He then takes a deep breath and faces the door again.

“How DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE you keep this great scientist chained away from where he beloooooongs, on the wings of the skyyyyy!”

Ned finally gives up and looks back at me as Nemo continues his loud complaining. 

“Looks like whatever we hope to find out, we’ll have to find out from this room.”

But his expression softens as he stands up and ruffles my hair. “But don’t worry, Professor. The second this door opens, I’m going to bust us out of here!”

“I don’t understand,” I finally say. “I know you’re concerned about us being trapped, but... wouldn’t escaping this ship be against our goals? We want to go to wherever Aleister is sending us, right? For Conseil and Smith’s sakes.”

Ned looks over at Barbicane and then at Nemo. “It’s the same for you two, right...?”

Nemo sighs dramatically before flopping backwards onto a couch, holding his knees to his chest and pouting magnificently. “I think we aaaaaaall have that same, burning desiiiiiiiire...”

“Yeah, same here,” says Barbicane. “Being cooped up like this, when there’s so much awesome tech on this ship....!”

“I’ve gooooooooooot to see the bridge of this magnificent airshiiiiiiiiiiiip!!” Nemo finally yells.

I look from the wailing Nemo to Ned and then to Barbicane.

These three grown men are throwing fits because they want to pilot the ship?!

I sink onto the couch next to Nemo and hold my head in my hands. 

“Hey, heeeeey~”

I look over at Nemo when I feel him begin to trail his index finger up and down my spine like it’s some kind of xylophone.

When he sees that my eyes are on him, his grin gets so big that it almost looks painful. “Hee hee... you’re looking awfully calm, my professoooor... my, my, could it be that you’re fiiiiiiiiiinally getting over your issue with heights~?”

He changes moods so quickly that I think my neck would break if I tried to follow along. But he looks so happy that I can’t help but return his smile.

“I’m afraid that’s not the case,” I say with a shrug. “It’s just that we’re on the coast. I feel calmer when we’re over the ocean.”

Nemo leans his chin on his hand and looks at me with half-lidded eyes. “You really do love the ocean, don’t you...?”

I quickly look away, flushing. “Well, yes, but that’s not it. You see... the ocean is forgiving.”

Nemo tilts his head with a confused, “Mrrph?”

“I mean, the ocean... holds you... it’s gentle like that...” I can’t stop my cheeks from reddening. “So the impact isn’t as... um...”

“Polly-chan...” Nemo has to bite his lip to hold back a snort of laughter. “Are... are you talking about buuuuuooyancyyyyyyy?! A--- Ahahaha--hahahahaa!! You really, reeeeeally are more of a poet than a scientist...!!”

“Don’t say that! Laugh all you want, but it makes sense,” I say with a huff. “If we crashed in the ocean, it wouldn’t be as bad as if we were over land. That’s why it’s not as frightening... geez, you won’t stop laughing, will you? I should’ve kept my mouth shut...”

“Eh, wouldn’t matter,” said Ned. “As high up as this thing’ll get, whether we’d crash on sea or land, we’d be pancakes either wa--hrrk!”

Before Ned could finish his thoughts, Nemo springs to his feet and shoves a round object into the sailor’s mouth.

“I woooonder how delicious you’d find this if I decided to detonate it...?” Nemo’s lips curl into a thin, dangerous smile. “But I’d haaaaaaaate to stain this pretty marvel with an idiot’s blood, sooooo...”

Nemo’s voice drops to a growl so vile it makes my skin crawl: “Keep. Your. Fool. Mouth. Shut.”

As Ned tries to pry the bomb out of his mouth, Nemo turns to me with a surprisingly cheerful air. “Your poetry dooooes have a point, though, my cute professoooor! If a ship did have to crash, the best scenario for it would be above a large body of water!”

He sways towards me and thunks his forehead against mine. “But don’t wooooorry... as long as I’m on an aircraft, Polly-chaaaaan... I won’t let you fall. Ever.”

“Nemo...”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Barbicane leaning down towards Cardia and whispering: “Should we mention the Fulton?”

“Do you want a bomb in your mouth?” replies Cardia. “Besides, you don’t have the best track record, either, Impey.”

I feel my legs begin to tremble from nerves, but by that time Nemo’s lips are over mine, and my head swims with thoughts of him instead.

“Pthew! There we go!” As Ned spits the bomb into his hand, the airship begins to rise in preparation for its takeoff.

Still kissing me, Nemo sits me down on the couch, tilting my head back so he can reach me easier. His movements against the ship’s makes me feel dizzy, but it’s not unpleasant.

When the engine’s rumblings calm, he finally pulls away and gives me that expectant look again- that one that says: ‘Didn’t I do a good job?’

“Yes,” I answer his silent question. “It felt nice.”

“Heeee--!” he gives a happy hum before looking excitedly over the edge of the couch to the wide windows where Barbicane, Cardia, and Ned have already gathered.

“Go on,” I tell him. “I know better than to keep the Lord of the Sky away from a grand ascent.” I give Nemo a light pat on the arm and his smile dazzles me before he hops up to join the others.

Before he leaves my field of vision, though, he points at me and exclaims: “I LOVE YOU~!”

Nemo bounds over to the others with a crash and begins laughing loudly about the magnificence of flight technology.

I still feel his warmth, though, and it comforts me as we begin to rise in the air.

“You goof...” I whisper. “I love you too.”

My heart is still pounding as we rise higher, and I decide to distract myself by reading one of the newspapers.

[DISASTROUS POLAR EXPEDITION.]

My, what pleasant reading material. I turn the paper over and look at the date-- it looks like this was reported a few months before the Nautilus’ attack.

“Isn’t there anything more recent...?” I sigh and begin reading again.

[A handful of survivors returned to London after a mutiny at sea and a failed attempt to reach the North Pole. Jonathan Hatteras, the Captain of the expedition, was quoted as saying: “As Englishmen, it is our duty to be the first to set foot upon the Pole. If we quit now, we’re rejecting our duty to the Queen.” It was a quiet and grave speech, one given to men that only Hatteras could see.]

I read a few more lines about the captain’s decaying mental state before thrusting the paper away. The way it was described was disgusting- an exploitation of a man’s illness to sell more papers.

I hesitantly look over my shoulder to watch Nemo clap Barbicane on the shoulder and giggle about some scientific joke.

Perhaps the article hit a little too close to home for me.


	43. Ballast and Bombast

It’s about 13,000 km from Argentina to the Arctic, which means that we’ll be on this blimp for over four days.

When Cardia told me this, I felt my stomach sink so far it could’ve hit my spine.

She responds by giving me one of her brilliant smiles and helping me stand up.

“Come on,” she says. “You can’t see the land anymore.”

Shame swells through me as I cling to Cardia’s side and hobble towards the promenade windows.

“Not bad, nooooot bad...” Nemo beams as I hesitantly look out the window. “The last time you faced a view like this, you had to be carried!”

Barbicane looks at Nemo and runs a hand through his hair. “Still don’t know how you managed that one.”

Nemo pouts. “Ohhhh, ye engineer of little faaaaaaaaaaaaith! I was spurred on by a magnificent loooove power!”

Ned quickly walks over and lifts one of Nemo’s arms. “Love power can’t fix skinny-ass arms.” 

“Ohhh... that is truuuue...”

A wide smile cuts Nemo’s face as he uses his free hand to point a pistol against the harpooner’s nose. “But love power aaaaalso can’t fix a hole in the face, Mr. Land.”

“Woah woah woah!” Barbicane waves his hands and walks over, slapping Ned’s hand away from Nemo’s arm and Nemo’s gun away from Ned’s face. “Ned, hands to yourself. Nemo, where the hell were you even hiding that?!”

“Impeeeey Barbicane, a word to the wiiiise... you should have at least one gun and one bomb on your person at all times.”

“AT LEAST?!” Barbicane’s face goes pale as he begins patting down his friend.

Nemo just stands there, slumped and smiling as Barbicane begins removing several explosives from Nemo’s coat pockets.

To be honest, I’m only half-listening as all of this is going on. My eyes are captured by the sea stretching out beneath the ship from horizon to horizon. It’s a rough sea topped with white froth, its churning mesmerizing me and making me forget where I am. No matter where you view it from, the ocean is the same expanse.

It makes me relax, just a bit.

Barbicane takes a step back from the impressive pile of weaponry on the floor. Other than the aforementioned bombs (shrapnel, tear, and sleeping) and pistols, there are knives, box cutters, syringes, and vials of god-only-knows what. There’s even a small crossbow that looks like a prototype of some kind or another.

Nemo glances down at the pile, mumbling to himself as he counts everything up.

“Hmmm~ very thorough, Impeeey... but you’ve missed a few...” Nemo slowly lifts his goggles up and gives Barbicane a wink. “Care to look a little clooooser~?”

Barbicane shudders. “I think I’ll leave the ultra-invasive search to Polly-chan, thanks! Just lay off on the whole aggressive bit, won’t you? That goes for you, too, Ned... Ned?”

Ned Land is staring at Nemo’s face, his jaw slack and eyes wide.

“Oh,” Cardia smiles sympathetically. “I guess that was his first time seeing it.”

“Hrm?” Nemo peers from Cardia to Ned. “Seeing what?”

“In... Incredible...” Ned can barely form words. “I never... woulda believed it...”

Nemo tilts his head and sighs when he notices that Ned’s staring at his face. He rolls his eyes before putting his goggles back in place and muttering with a click of his tongue: “Paaaatheeeetic.”

\---

The door finally clicks open after a few hours and we’re allowed to explore. The three men stick together like schoolyard chums, excitedly poring over every gear and wire that they come across. Cardia is kind enough to stay by me, teaching me the ins and outs of airship flight in a language I can understand.

But at night, Nemo always comes back to me without fail. He takes me to one of the viewing decks and we spend a long time talking about aerial navigation. He looks so happy, I can’t help but feel guilty whenever I cling to his arm at the ship’s movement.

... It doesn’t look like he minds too much, though, even when he has to steady me as we go back to our cabin. In fact, he looks downright gleeful...

I always try to stay up as long as I can, but the basic need for sleep eventually wins out over my fear, and I let myself be relaxed by Nemo’s excited humming and murmuring as he strokes my hair.

He’s always gone when I wake up, but I’m used to it by now. When it comes to airships, I don’t think the man ever sleeps!

\---

My mood has improved considerably by the time the fourth day comes. It’s funny, most people would be afraid to be so far away from land and all terrestrial assistance, but I feel much better above the water. I know it sounds backwards, but I’m not questioning it. It’s nice not to feel nauseated for once.

“Say, have you noticed?” Cardia takes a step closer to me as we walk along one of the interior hallways of the airship. “The crew members have changed their uniforms.”

I take a closer look at the men walking past us. Cardia’s right, they’ve changed from plain jumpsuits into long white coats with fur-trimmed collars. They would blend perfectly into the snow, but they’re bright aliens against the metal of the ship. The eeriest piece of their uniform, though, are the circular masks they wear. With solid black eyes and flat, narrow beaks I can’t help but think of owls.

Cardia and I instinctively move closer to each other, even though the crew doesn’t even look our way.

When I look over at Cardia, her lips are drawn thin in worry.

“Cardia?”

She jumps in surprise before giving me a smile. “Sorry about that.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

Cardia shakes her head and looks around. “Being on an airship like this, surrounded by men in masks... I guess it just reminds me a bit of Twilight.”

I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her, or what support I could possibly give, so I simply reach over and squeeze her hand.

Somewhere in the background, I register what sounds like... a stampede?

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Cardia shakes her head before patting my hand. “Really.”

“But...”

The noise is getting louder, and by the time I realize what it is, Nemo has already bounded in and thrown his arms around both Cardia and myself.

“Noooooooooo no no! That simply woooooooooon’t do!” he rubs his cheek against the wide-eyed Cardia’s. “This airship flies...”

Cardia gurgles helplessly as Nemo pulls her tighter against him and gives an enthusiastic thumbs up. “... On the wiiiiiiiiiiiiiind of friiiiiiieeeeendshiiiiiiiiiip!! So you’ll never, ever, eeeeeeeeeeever have to feel loneeeeeeeely!”

Nemo pulls away and puts his hands on Cardia’s shoulders-- she’s been yanked around so much by this point that she looks more like a rag doll than anything.

“The one similaaaarity between this place and Twilight Heaaaadquarters... is that in both places... your beloved, darling big brother is aaaaalways there to proteeeeect you!” Nemo beams.

Cardia slowly looks up at him and speaks in a deadpan expression. “Didn’t my ‘beloved, darling big brother’ perform experiments on me all the time back then...?”

Nemo ignores Cardia and yanks down the front of her cap playfully before turning to me. “And how are you handling things, myyyy deaaaar~? This cool beauty of an airship is quite smoooooth, isn’t she?”

I smile up at him. “You’re in a good mood, Nemo.”

“I’m in my eeeeeeeelement!” Nemo throws his arms into the air triumphantly. “At last, at last, at laaaaaaaaaaast I am back in the sky where I belong!! The sky is my home, much like the sea is yours!”

Before I realize it, he’s grabbed my hands and has spun me around like we’re on a playground. I’m not expecting it, and laughter bursts out of me before I can stop myself.

“Mmmnnnn~” Nemo puts his cheek on my hands and looks at me pleadingly. “Come to the bridge with me, woooon’t you?

“The bridge?”

Nemo nods.

“The bridge, where... this thing is piloted?”

Nemo’s still nodding.

“Where there’s... very big windows for maximum visibility and gauges showing exactly how high up in the air we are and... how fast we’re going... and...”

My sentence dies on my dry tongue as Nemo nods so hard that I’m afraid his goggles will fall off.

But before the chill can set into my body, Nemo wraps his thin arms around me and cradles me to his chest. He’s so warm and his excitement is so... it’s strange to say it, but it’s so... pure. His love for these ships is unsullied by the hate and bitterness that seeps into so many of his fancies.

He looks so happy.

“... All right, I’ll go with you.” I rest my cheek against his shoulder and sigh, trying to release the fear burrowing inside of me.

Nemo squeezes me tight and happily sways from one foot to the other while humming delightedly. “My cute, brave professooooooor--! I love you--!!” He releases me enough so that we can walk side by side, his arm wrapped around my waist so I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to.

“Oh, Cardia--!” I turn around to look at her.

“You two go on ahead,” she smiles sympathetically at me. “I think I’ll pass this time.”

I worriedly look at her as Nemo draws me away, and she replies with a friendly wave.

If I die from sheer terror, I’m blaming her.

...

It seems strange, given the situation we’re in, but it’s nice walking with him. I can pretend that we’re just a normal couple taking an afternoon stroll instead of flying thousands of feet in the air straight into the clutches of our enemy.

I thread my arm around his waist so we’re mirroring each other, and he responds by giving my head an affectionate kiss.

When we pass the large windows, I try my best to stare at the floor and concentrate on the sound of our boots hitting metal. It works surprisingly well. Soon the hallway opens up into a gargantuan space that, judging from Nemo’s happy dance, can only be the bridge. I’m surprised by how many of the mechanisms I recognize thanks to Cardia’s lessons, so I know exactly which screens NOT to look at. I really, really don’t want to know how high we are.

“Oh-hooooo!” Nemo scrambles back over to me and watches me examine the ballonet gauges. “I’m not too surprised you ‘dove’ over here, my little submarineeeer~!”

I give him a smile. “Cardia said that this would interest me, since it’s so similar to the ballast tanks of the Harper.”

“Airships and submarines do have to control their buoyancy in similar manners... hmm... I must say myyyyy sisteeeeer does have a good head for engineeeeeering... if oooonly I had gotten hold of her sooner, I miiiiight have steered her along the same scientific path as senseeeeeeiii...”

Nemo sniffs sadly, so I pat a hand on his arm to distract him. “Don’t you think she’d look cute in a white lab coat?”

Nemo quickly looks over at me, and I can see his eyes shining behind his goggles. “Mmm--! She’d look so preeeeecious, an angel of science just like Impeeeeey Barbicane says!”

I’m pretty sure Barbicane has never called Cardia an angel “of science” specifically, but Nemo looks so happy about his ‘little sister’ that I won’t correct him.

“Hmm, but he isn’t the ooooonly one with an angel of science...” Nemo thumps my nose with the tip of his finger. “I bet you looked lovely in your white coat back at your univeeeersity...”

I look back at the ballonet gauges, smiling rather coquettishly as Nemo leans in and runs his lips over my earlobe. “Peeeersonally... I think black would suit you better.... fwee hee hee... we’d maaaatch...”

Nemo can barely take my earlobe between his teeth before we hear someone clear their throat.

“Pardon the interruption, Nemo-kun.”

My happy, teasing expression is drained immediately when I heard those words-- that voice.

I pull myself away from Nemo to look at him, at that man standing there with a warm smile, like an old friend dropping in for tea.

“Aleister!”


	44. My Dear, Dear Friend

Jimmy A. Aleister, the man who turned my fantastic voyage into a desperate getaway, is standing in front of me. I had been surrounded by so many wonderful visions, I hadn’t been able to think much about what I would say to him if we met again.

“It’s been awhile, Professor Aronnax. How have you been?”

His question was so innocent, so ORDINARY that I couldn’t come up with an answer.

“Aleisteeeeer!” Nemo bursts into the conversation. “I wasn’t expecting you here so eaaaaarly!”

I go numb again. The look on Nemo’s face is joyful, but it isn’t surprised. His words, too, make it clear that this isn’t a dramatic reunion. 

“Good afternoon, Nemo-kun,” replies Aleister. “I had a feeling you and your lady-friend would arrive sooner or later.”

Nemo pulls me to his side and straightens up somewhat, apparently proud of the title that Aleister had given me. 

I take advantage of our closeness to whisper: “You knew? You knew Aleister was here?”

Nemo tilts his head towards me and chews on his bottom lip before looking back towards Aleister.

“Don’t hold it against him, Aronnax. I asked him to keep it from you and the others until I could gauge your reaction,” says Aleister.

Nemo reassuringly puts his hands on my shoulders, and I’m surprised to feel how much I’m trembling. It isn’t a fearful tremble, though.

Those nights under the stars, all the kisses we’ve shared on this ship, all that time he knew that our enemy was here! What’s more, he looks so happy to see him. Happy!

“You’re a very confident man to show up so casually,” my voice is low. “After everything you’ve done to us!”

When I raise my voice, Nemo’s fingers curl ever-so-slightly into my shoulders, sending a bitter chill down my body.

If I tried to approach Aleister, Nemo would certainly hold me back. 

“Would you mind refreshing my memory, Professor?” Aleister calmly rests his hands upon his serpentine cane. “What have I done to you?”

I’m so angered by this request that my words stumble out: “You’re the one who set all of this up! Because of you, Nemo and I are wanted criminals! You stole my funds, and—and you’ve kidnapped Cyrene Smith and my Conseil--!”

“They’re safe,” Nemo hurriedly whispers into my ear. “Aleister showed me, they’re just fine.”

I feel my face chill as the color drains. I slowly turn to look up at Nemo, to see his reassuring smile. Nothing is wrong to him, nothing in the slightest. Everything is fine, because it’s Aleister. His dear, dear friend, Aleister.

I narrow my eyes and look back at Aleister. “You made sure that Queen Victoria knew Nemo’s identity.”

I hear Nemo stop breathing, and in my peripheral vision I see him look up at Aleister again as though he had forgotten.

Aleister’s eyebrows knit, and he looks almost regretful. If we hadn’t had those tea times with Finis, I would have felt bad for my accusatory tone.

“Yes, that’s correct. Nemo-kun, I did make sure that Victoria had access to your past.”

He said it so plainly. So bluntly.

“Aleister…” Nemo’s voice is high-pitched and lost. “Why DID you do that…? Whyyyy…?”

Aleister nods. “I know it was horrendous, especially after everything you went through to give yourself a new life, but I did it for this project. All of the pain that I put you and Aronnax through was for your submarine. I can never ask for your forgiveness, my friend, all I can do is give you the knowledge that it was for the goal that we’ve all worked towards.”

Nemo whimpers.

“The goal we’ve all worked towards… s-scieeeence…?”

Aleister nods. “Yes, science is a great part of these ambitions. Nemo, your science is why this had to be done.”

“If… iiiiif it’s for science…”

“Nemo, no!” I turn around and look at him. “He’s just saying what you want to hear! What goals could possibly—what ambitions could excuse—“

I whirl around and face Aleister, my teeth grinding as I spit out my rage. “What project could have been worth making this man re-live the Hell he endured?! Aleister, you call yourself Nemo’s friend but you didn’t see--! You didn’t see the anguish on his face! You bastard… I’ll never forgive you!”

I’ve lost whatever composure I had hoped to keep. I begin to move towards Aleister, but Nemo yanks me back and braces me against him, his fingers digging into my flesh to keep me away from the man standing before us.

“Let go of me!” I cry.

“P-Please calm down--!” Nemo’s voice is hoarse. “If… if you go after Aleisteeeer, I… IIII…!!”

“Nemo!”

He lets go of my body only to grab my wrists, and I wince when I feel blood rush to where he had been gripping me before. There will be bruises.

“Nemo-kun, it’s fine…” Aleister shakes his head, speaking in a gentle voice. “She doesn’t know what we went through on the Nautilus. It is only natural she would be upset. You’re lucky to have found such a devoted woman.”

Nemo won’t let me go, no matter how much I struggle, so I squeeze my eyes shut before stomping the heel of my boot down on his foot.

I doubt the impact physically hurt Nemo, but the shock makes him squawk and leap back, clutching his foot with both hands. I don’t waste any time, running towards Aleister. I don’t know what I plan to do when I get to him, but I’ll make sure that he never hurts my Nemo again--

There’s something cool against my neck.

“Pauliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!” I hear Nemo wail my name in agony.

I look down to see Aleister’s cane against my throat, wielded as though it were a deadly blade.

“Professor, I would recommend not coming any closer.”

I hadn’t seen him move.

My eyes glance from the cane to the man wielding it.

No, is he truly a man?

“Nemo-kun,” Aleister’s voice is calm and even.

I hear Nemo hobble over, and he peers down at me, his lips drawn thin.

His expression is heartbreaking enough, and it’s only made worse when he gives me one of his best smiles. He stands me up straight and pets my head, still smiling as he says:

“I don’t need you to rescue me, Professor.”

His voice sounds the same. It has the same beat, the same volume. But it’s colder. No, it’s not just cold... it’s distant, too. It’s fake. That same fake demeanor that hid almost a decade of pain from me.

When my shoulders begin to droop, Nemo pulls his hand away and shuffles over to Aleister, who draws his cane back and nods towards his comrade.

“Both of you deserve to know,” he says. “Follow me.”

Nemo and Aleister begin to walk towards the front of the bridge, and I follow behind them until we’re in close to the large window in front of the ship’s wheel.

I’m faced with a delirious blue sky with wisps of clouds underneath us and further beneath that-- solid ice and snow!

We’re so high, and I feel myself being drawn again towards that endless, terrifying blue. My legs tremble, but I grit my teeth and look ahead to see Aleister’s project.

“Aronnax, are you all right?”

I look up at Aleister and see more of that horrible blue glinting in the reflection of his monocle. In that moment I see all of my fears reflected in that man’s eyes.

Nemo turns to look me up and down, seeing how nervous sweat has beaded across my brow. He slowly reaches out his hand towards me, but his fingers jolt and he bites his lip.

He wordlessly lowers his hand back to his side and turns to look out the window.

My eyes linger on Nemo for a moment longer, but when it’s clear that he won’t break his uncharacteristic silence, I say, “I’m fine.”

Aleister nods. “It should come into view soon. You’ll see, Nemo-kun, that project that I needed your assistance for.”

It’s like I’ve been discarded. To these men, I might as well not even be in the room.

“W-Woooaaaaaaah!”

I can’t help but match Nemo’s gasp as a building comes into view. It’s only one floor high to better combat the icy winds, but it’s a sprawling maze branching out like an impressive spider’s web.

“Incredibleeeeeee...!” Nemo gawks. “To have built such an impressive base on the ice......!”

“Certainly you see now, Nemo-kun. The technology developed during our time in Twilight has lived on past that organization. This is why I need you.”

“Yes... yeeees, I understaaaaaaaaand! Aleistee---”

“Nemo!”

I interrupt Nemo’s cheerful conversation, and he looks at me in shock... and... perhaps, disdain? No, it hurts too much... I quickly look away and continue to speak.

“Don’t you remember what Finis told us? He’s using you, Nemo. Have you forgotten everything he’s put you through...?”

Nemo turns back to look out the window, humming in thought.

“Pooooolly-chan...” he speaks lowly. “Maaaaybe... you aren’t ready for the bridge after aaaaall...”

Each long syllable is like a knife twisting in my heart.

I know I can’t leave him with Aleister, but he’s already begun speaking with him again, laughing and chatting... like I’m not even there.

“We’ll be landing soon, Nemo-kun,” says Aleister. “I’ll be happy to introduce you to the person who planned all of this. He’s very enthusiastic about meeting the architect of the Nautilus.”

It feels as though Nemo and Aleister are in a different room, and I slowly begin to walk away to make that feeling a reality.

I don’t bother to hide any tears. The one I’m crying for wouldn’t even see.

As I briskly walk through the halls, my eyes are so filled with tears that I can barely make out the bright orange blur headed my way.

“Hey, hey Polly-chan! Is Nemo...” Barbicane’s voice dies off as I wipe my eyes and shake my head, continuing to walk.

“Woah, woah, hold on!” Barbicane scrambles after me, and in two bounds of his long legs he’s walking beside me, a hand on my back. “What happened?”

I shake my head, but Barbicane peers around and gets a better look at me before saying, “You can tell me, Polly-chan. Talk to me.”

I sniff and grit my teeth, beginning to tremble with anger. “Aleister.”

“Huh?”

“Aleister is here on this ship. He’s been here the whole time! On this ship! And Nemo--”

I grip Barbicane’s jumpsuit as my anger begins to twist into despair. “Nemo knew... Nemo’s known that Aleister was here! He knew this whole time, and... he didn’t tell me and...”

My voice is beginning to quiver, and the knot in my throat is making it hard for me to speak.

“And... Aleister has him... Nemo won’t listen to me.... he... Nemo... the way he looked at me, I... I love him, so why won’t he--?! Why won’t he listen...?! Aleister is using him! He’s dangerous and... and horrible and... I just want... to keep Nemo safe... I...”

“I don’t need you to rescue me, Professor.”

I hate the pathetic whimper that leaves my lips. I let go of Barbicane and hide my face in my hands.

Before Barbicane can respond to me, we hear a strange, piercing noise and the sound of static.

“Aaahhhhh~! Test, teeeeeest~!”

“Nemo...” I stare up at the speaker on the wall.

“Hahahahahaaaaaa...! It’s been a looooong time, but I’m baaaaaaaaaaack at the heeeeeeelm!”

“You were just at the helm of the Harper!” I cry towards the speaker. “Our submarine, Nemo! Doesn’t that mean anything to you now--?!”

Barbicane puts a hand on my shoulder. “He can’t hear you, Polly-chan.”

“We will be landing at the Arctic Base shooooortly, so please make your preperations! Hee hee hee, the North Pole awaaaaaaaaaits the glory of my sciiiiieence!!”

I look from the speaker back down to the floor as the airship begins to descend, making my stomach rise into my throat.

“But... what about our science...? What about everything that Aleister has done…? What about everything that… we’ve… done…?”


	45. Understanding

I feel numb as I fumble with the buttons of my coat, cursing until Cardia walks over and finishes the job for me. I offer her a ‘thank you’ smile, and she puts her hand on my arm reassuringly.

“Don’t you two look nice ‘n toasty!” Barbicane puts his hands on his hips as he walks into the room where we’re preparing to disembark. “Like a pair of marshmallows!”

Behind him is Ned Land, a frown on his face and his eyebrows furrowed.

I glance over at Barbicane and nod. “You told him about Conseil, didn’t you?”

Barbicane shrugged. “Sure did! He’s been moping ever since.”

“I’m not ungrateful or anythin’ like that,” Ned shakes his head. “I just... look, you told me he’s here, right? But where is he? I gotta see him ta’ know that he’s safe, you know?”

I nod, knowing all-too-well the feelings that he’s experiencing. I’m feeling them myself for Conseil, of course, but a flood of guilt enhances my melancholy when I hear Ned’s words. Conseil, my friend who I had thought was in terrible danger until a little while ago, is not the one on my mind.

The doors behind us open again and I turn, hoping that maybe it would be Nemo sauntering through.

But it’s Cyrene Smith that walks into the room, her eyes wide as she tries to see our faces past our fur-lined hoods. When she realizes who I am, she gives me a wide smile. “Professor Aronnax!”

“Smith!”

Relief upon seeing one of my friends safe is like a balm for my anxiety, and in gratitude and happiness I run to the woman’s open arms and give her a tight hug.

“Professor, it’s so good to see you again!” she gives me a firm squeeze.

“Rini-chan, you’re safe!” Barbicane runs over and hugs both Smith and I. “Man, when we saw that photo of you, we were so freaked out!”

“Professor Barbicane and Cardia, too! I’m so glad to see you again... when I woke up I thought I was a goner for sure. It was Aleister...! I should’ve been more careful, I should’ve realized that there were people on Lincoln Island that were loyal to him!” Smith grits her teeth. “Damnit!”

I shake my head. “Even if you had been cautious, Aleister probably still would have known. There’s something wrong with that man, I don’t think he’s entirely human.”

“Noooooot very niiiiiiiiiice to talk about people behind their backs, Arronaaaaaaaax...”

“Professor Nemo!” Smith whirls around and hugs her ‘sensei’. They clap each other heartily on the back, but then I see Smith stiffen when she peers over Nemo’s shoulder.

“Aleister...”

Aleister walks into the room, nodding to Smith as he passes her.

“It would seeeeem that everyone is here, Aleisteeeeeeer! So, let’s hurry and go see this technological wooooonder!” Nemo gestures excitedly and with such ferocity that I’m afraid he’ll topple over, but Smith steadies him, though her smile is gone. She’s come to the same conclusion that I have-- Nemo has willingly put himself under Aleister’s thumb.

“No, not everyone’s here!” Ned grips his hands into fist. “Where’s Conseil?!”

Everybody turns their gazes towards Aleister, but it’s Nemo who speaks up with a giggle: “Ohhhhh, not to worry, noooooot to wooooorry! He’s safe and sound in a cozy holding cell. He just simply wouldn’t stop running at me, you seeeeee... actually....”

Nemo turns towards me with a mask of a smile. “He reminded me a bit of you, Aronnax...! Not listening to reason nor explanation, letting your passions get ahead of your rationality... ohhh, it’d be pre-ci-ous if it weren’t sooooo...”

His smile disappears.

“Foolish.”

I see his eyes narrow behind the sheen of his goggles before he turns towards Barbicane, his smile back to its usual shape. “Beeeeest friends really are alike, aren’t they, Impeeeeeeeey Barbicaaaaaaaaaane?”

“If you mean something like ‘best friends are always looking out for those they care about’, then yeah. Yeah they are,” Barbicane crosses his arms and shifts from one foot to the other as he looks at Nemo, who just responds by giving him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

I ignore Nemo’s cruel words and say: “Take me to him.”

Nemo straightens up for just a moment, his lips slack with surprise as he turns towards Aleister.

“Nemo!” I direct his attention back to me, and he stumbles back with his teeth grit in agitation.

“Please,” I continue. “You know where Conseil is, right? Please, take me to him.”

Nemo just stares before finally letting out a deep sigh and waving his arm dismissively. “Fine, fiiiiiine... Aleister, don’t show them anything tooooooooooo exciting without meeee...”

“Of course not, Nemo-kun,” says Aleister, his voice gentle and reassuring. “I’ll just take them out into the main hangar.”

Nemo smiles at Aleister before turning and sauntering out the door, leaving me to face his back as I follow him.

Once we get a good distance away, I call out his name. He keeps on walking, silent. I quicken my pace to catch up to him.

“Nemo! Nemo, we have to talk. Please, listen to me!”

I reach out and gently put my hand on his shoulder. He stiffens, and it makes my chest feel hollow. Before he would always seem to melt at my touch, lean into me, slump comfortingly, give me a gentle smile...

But this time he turns around with a stare that freezes my heart.

“N... Nemo?”

He’s silent, save a shuddering breath, as he takes a step towards me, forcing me back against the wall without even touching me.

Nemo’s palms connect with the wall with a resounding boom, one on either side of my head. He’s so close to me that, in happier times, we would have rubbed our noses together.

He doesn’t say anything. I don’t know how he’s being so quiet, normally he’s bursting with volume! But he’s just staring at me, his eyes so wide that I can see that beautiful lavender boring into me like steel.

The silence is only interrupted by me suddenly remembering to breathe.

“Why... aren’t you understanding me...?” I hear Nemo finally speak.

It was a wheeze, a plea barely vocalized in that choking silence.

I want so badly to reach out and touch him, to hold him to my chest and tell him that we’ll be all right. We’ll be all right.

But his expression is so frightening, and his silence makes my ears burn.

I finally look away and say: “You’re scary when you’re quiet, Nemo...”

He’s still for a moment longer before suddenly lurching forward, making me flinch with a pathetic whimper.

But when he can get no closer, his lips split into an awful smile and he slowly stumbles back.

“Come, cooooome, Aronnax... we shouldn’t keep your friend waaaaiiiting...”

He’s back to his jovial self, humming as he walks onward. But that smile has so much malevolence seeping through that it hurts to look.

I realize that I’m shivering as I follow him, and I try to give myself some comfort by hugging myself as we go deeper into the airship. I remember how warm I felt when we walked beside each other, but now I’m completely alone.

“Professor!” 

Conseil runs to the bars of the holding cell, ragged and tired but with relieved tears flooding his eyes. His fingers are trembling as they reach out towards me, and his tears begin rolling down his cheeks when he realizes how separated we are.

“Professor, I...” he shakes his head. “I never meant...”

He falls back into the shadows of his cell, shaking his head. “The last time I saw you, I...”

I interrupt him by quickly shaking my head. “We can talk later. Right now let’s get you out of here.”

Conseil’s eyes roam from me to the man standing behind me, and he grits his teeth.

“You really think that man will let me go?” he asks.

I look back at Nemo, a frown forming on my face. “He shouldn’t have any reason not to, provided you don’t attack him again.”

“Again?” Conseil raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t attack him! All I did was ask what he did to you--!”

I shudder before Conseil even finishes speaking.

Conseil’s words slow, and it almost looks like it hurts him to tell me this: “All I did was ask where you were, Professor, and then he locked me in here.”

I don’t want to look behind me, but I owe it to Conseil. I owe it to myself. I slowly turn towards the man I love. He’s leaning against the back wall, his head tilted backwards as he takes in the scene.

His giggle is awful.

“Myyyy... thinking back on it... it diiiiiid go something like that, diiiiidn’t it...?”

I take a few steps over to him and clench my fists, whispering so only he can hear: “Why would you do that?”

Nemo raises an eyebrow. “He hired a bounty hunter to kill me, Aronnax. Or did you forgeeeeeeeeet...?”

“Of course I didn’t forget!” I raise my voice. “He tried to kill the man I love!”

Nemo’s breath hitches, so I repeat it: “I love you, Nemo. Did YOU forget THAT?”

The only thing that could tear me away from this stand down is the sound of Conseil’s choked sobs.

“I never meant to...”

Nemo and I look over at Conseil.

“I really don’t want to kill him,” he says. “I don’t want to kill anyone. I just want to protect you, Professor!”

“How troublesooooome...” Nemo mutters. He saunters over to Conseil and pokes him in the forehead. “You’re going oooooon and oooooon about what you think is best for her without liiiiiiiiiiistening to what she wants!”

I flush as though I’m the one being scolded. It’s then that I notice that, behind the goggles, Nemo’s eyes aren’t on Conseil.

He’s staring at me as he speaks.

No, our scenario is completely different. Aleister is completely different!

But my posture relaxes as Nemo unlocks the cell.

“I’m sure the two of you have much to reminiiiiisce about... but let’s not keep Aleister and the others waitiiiiiing...”

As Nemo begins to walk away, I reach out and grab him by his jacket.

He slowly looks over his shoulder at me.

I want to say something, but no words come, so we just stare at one another until Nemo laughs and yanks his jacket out of my grip.

“Cliiiingy giiiirl...” he lilts as he walks away.

“Professor?”

I hear the cell door open with a creak, but my vision blurs as tears fill my eyes.

“Professor, it’s okay.”

I feel Conseil’s gentle hands on my shoulders.

“It will be okay, Professor. I promise. Everything will be okay.”


	46. Jonathan Hatteras

“Sweetheart!” Ned Land shoves past the others waiting in the hangar and runs to Conseil, sweeping him up in a tight hug.

I can’t help but feel a little envious as Ned spins him around, and I wonder what it might be like to have a lover strong enough to do that to me. I take a glance over at Nemo, who’s still following after Aleister’s duster coat like an excited puppy. I would find it sad if he weren’t being so…

I can’t just call it “pathetic”, though that is part of what it is. It’s more than that, though… it’s frightening. What was he trying to convey to me with that steely glare? What did he want me to understand? Why can’t I make HIM understand?

My head is spinning with these thoughts much like Ned is still spinning Conseil, who by this point is protesting magnificently for Ned to put him down.

“Haha… all right, then,” Aleister gives that fatherly laugh of his again that makes my blood curdle. “Everything is to your satisfaction now, I take it?”

Ned turns towards Aleister with his teeth grit in anger, but before he can say anything, Nemo begins hopping from one foot to the other like he had just had an entire pot of coffee. “Ohhhhhhhh---!! Yes, yes yes yes yeeeeees! Let’s see moooooooore of this incredible place!”

“Well, then…” Aleister nods before having a pair of guards open a door for us. The web-like pattern of the base we saw from above is apparently thanks to long, narrow hallways that connect massive buildings, shielding the workers from the bitter wind and cold.

“This hallway feels temporary,” says Cardia.

“Yeah, totally agree with you,” replies Barbicane. “It’s more like a tent than a building.”

“It is, in a way,” says Aleister. “The North Pole has no landmass. It is a solid block of ice. So, yes, in reality these are very temporary buildings.”

Ned leans down towards Conseil and whispers, though it’s so loud that everyone can hear: “Isn’t building a base on ice kind of stupid?”

“I’m sure it’s veeeeeeery cutting-edge technology…” Nemo mutters.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Science. Couldn’t this place just be built at the South Pole?” Ned gives a shrug.

Aleister laughs again before giving a shrug. “I’m afraid our Captain was rather picky about our location. Once we have amassed enough resources to satisfy him, we will relocate to the closest landmass.”

“Captain?” as I ask this, I notice Nemo instinctively turn towards me—only for a moment.

“Yes,” says Aleister. “He is the one who had me extend this invitation to you all.”

“You mean he’s the one who had you kidnap us!” Smith steps forward and clenches her fist. At this, the two guards trailing behind us cock their pistols, reminding us that we are still technically prisoners.

Nemo puts a hand on Smith’s shoulder and smiles at him reassuringly, but she looks away with a scowl. Though he’s usually oblivious, Nemo’s lips twitch into a frown before he bounces back to his normal, jovial self. “Soooooo, when are we going to meet this Captaaaaaaaain?”

Aleister nods, and the two guards walk around to push open the doors at the end of the hall.

Barbicane looks at Cardia the moment the guards have their back turned, but she shakes her head.

There’s no way we could escape the North Pole so easily.

So we all file neatly through the doors and down another hallway, silent save Nemo chattering at Aleister about various things. We pass through countless of these corridors until we enter a large, circular room.

“It feels different in here,” says Cardia, but when she hears her own voice she claps her hand over it.

“What is it?” I ask, only to have the same surprising reaction. It sounds almost like I’m whispering in my own ear. It sounds unnerving, to say the least.

“The acoustics in this room are different,” says Barbicane, looking around. “It’s like it was designed for… silence.”

“You’re right, of course,” says Aleister, his voice low. “This building in particular was designed using very particular acoustic engineering. A whisper will carry as much as a shout, and excess volume will be absorbed.”

All of us turn towards Nemo.

“W-Whaaaaaaat’s everyone staaaaaaaaaring for? Ah, of cooooourse! You want to know how my graaaaaaaand voice will be affected by the magnificence of sciiiiiiience!”

Even Aleister has a shocked expression.

It appears that, despite all the powers of acoustic engineering, Nemo’s voice isn’t dulled one bit.

“I guess some things are more powerful than current technology,” says Cardia.

Cardia is interrupted by a melancholic moan.

We look around for the source, thrown off by the warped sound, and eventually we follow Aleister’s gaze to a dark doorway in the very back of the room.

That moan sounded like it had been right in my ear!

“What is that…” a hushed voice creeps around us. “What is that noise…? Aleister…?”

“Captain,” says Aleister. “I’ve brought your guests here.”

There’s a long silence punctuated only by Nemo’s breathing.

At last, there’s a shuffle and a sigh. “Thank you, Aleister. You may bring them in. I ask for silence, as always.”

Aleister nods and gestures to us before the guards begin to walk towards us, corralling us towards the darkened room.

As we walk in, Aleister puts a hand on Nemo’s shoulder and holds a finger to his lips.

“For me, old friend,” he says.

Nemo nods and somehow still manages to generate sound.

Aleister and the guards lead us, their seven prisoners, quietly into the room.

“Aleister. A light, if you would?”

Aleister walks over to a table and flips a switch. The room is still dim, but we can at least see our speaker now.

The captain sits in a comfortable chair, long legs bent like he’s a lethargic grasshopper and a cheek resting upon his hand. He shifts, a wave of dark hair cascading over his shoulder and tumbling towards the floor.

He’s breathtaking, but somehow strange and off-putting… in a way he’s very much like Nemo, and at the same time a flipped image. Quiet, powerful, able to convey his feelings with a mere tilt of his head. As still as the icebergs surrounding us.

I shudder when he turns those chilled eyes on me.

“Welcome,” says the captain. “I’m grateful that you are here.”

Smith looks like she wants to say something, but the oppressive silence makes her merely grit her teeth in frustration.

“Welcome to the Northernmost Base,” the captain continues. “I am Captain Jonathan Hatteras.”

“Hatteras…?” I look at him, the name somehow familiar to me.

“Oh! I know you!” Barbicane points at the man, his exuberant shout absorbed by the room. “You’re that explorer that tried to make it up here years ago!”

Hatteras lowers his head in a motion that could only be a nod. “Nobody thought I could. So I did.” He closes his eyes, leaving us alone with his silence.

“The Captain wants to make new kingdom up here in the north,” says Aleister.

“The land I love…” Hatteras dreamily whispers.

“He had me… recruit all of you to that end,” Aleister continues.

“You KIDNAPPED us!” Smith repeats, shattering the stillness that Hatteras clearly prized. “No matter how many ways you try to twist it, Aleister, we know the truth!”

“Aleister, did you kidnap them?” Hatteras looks towards Aleister. “That’s a shame… I was hoping to hear that they had come of their own accord.”

Aleister shrugs. “Unfortunately, they’re just as stubborn as you are, Jonathan, and I know you were eager to meet them.”

“Yes… eager to meet each and every one of them…” Hatteras’ eyes roam over all of us before they narrow at Conseil and Ned in apparent confusion.

“Hey, I just came to get my sweetheart,” says Ned, shrugged.

“… That aside…” Hatteras slowly stands up from his chair and begins to slowly walk towards us. His attire is interesting: the coat and epaulettes of a captain slung over a loose shirt and what appears to be a sheet around his waist. At his hip hangs a sword, a frayed Union Jack tied around the handle. “Let me take a look at you all…”

He says ‘you all’, but he walks straight towards Barbicane. They’re almost the same height, Barbicane remaining the tallest in the room by only a few stray hairs.

“You must be Impey Barbicane, the man who will one day go to the moon,” says Hatteras.

He goes silent before suddenly leaning it and quirking an eyebrow. “Has anyone told you how ridiculous that dream of yours is?”

Barbicane closes his eyes and sighs before putting a hand on his hip and returning Hatteras’ gaze, a smile playing on his face. “Yep! All the time! Words like that won’t stop me, though!” Barbicane flexes his arm, his large wrench in his hand as he flashes a smile. “Words can’t stop my dream!”

Hatteras stares at Barbicane before taking a step back, his quiet voice grave: “I’m glad. People said the same thing to me… my crew even abandoned me, left me for dead… but I still made it. I accomplished my dream!”

Hatteras spreads his arms wide. “I’m here, at the top of the world--!”

His voice was still quiet, but it was filled with such emotion that it was like the walls rumbled from force instead of volume.

But then Hatteras’ arms fall to his sides and he looks up at the ceiling as though he’s searching the sky for answers.

At that moment, he looks very much like Nemo.

“But now I’m here… I’ve reached my dream… now what? What is there for me now?”

He looks at Barbicane with wide eyes. “What will you do after you get to the moon?”

“After?” Barbicane looks deep in thought. “I guess… after I get to the moon, I’d like to work on developing more tech to help people. There’s all kinds of things out there that people need. Maybe I can—h-hey?”

Hatteras has already moved on from Barbicane, not even listening to his answer. He stops in front of Cardia, looking down at her with an even expression. “You’re the Blue Fairy.”

“I’m the… what?”

Hatteras leans down and looks into her eyes. “Against all odds, you turned a puppet into a living boy.”

Cardia’s expression turns stern. “My brother has always been a living boy. Whether that life was ‘created’ or not doesn’t matter.”

“Do excuse her, won’t you, Jonathan?” Aleister says with a light laugh. “Cardia-kun is a rather fierce older sister.”

“Ho hoooooo!” Nemo throws his head back and gives a mighty laugh. “She is, she iiiiiiiiiiiis! She’s always been quite remaaaaaaarkable!”

“And you…” Hatteras straightens up and walks over to Nemo, the sheet fluttering about his legs so it looks like he’s gliding across the floor. “Well, who hasn’t heard about you? A revolutionary.”

Nemo chortles, looking rather pleased with himself. “Yeeees… yes, my science is a revoluuuuution--!”

Hatteras shakes his head. “No, I’m talking about your tragedy. You bore a revolution on your back, and the Crown retaliated as was its right.”

“Eh?” Nemo’s eyebrows arc in surprise.

“Wait, that’s not…” I shake my head. “Captain Hatteras, that—”

Hatteras unties the pitiful remains of the flag from his sword and holds it reverently. “The Empire. My Empire. You left your country when the embers of your home were still cooling and sought out the power the Empire had to offer. You studied and studied, and worked hard to become someone completely different from that revolutionary boy.”

Nemo scratches his head, looking at Hatteras like a second head is sprouting from his neck.

“And you built another home for yourself, one completely devoted to your worship of science… but the Crown cast you out of the Royal Society. You have just trudged through tragedy after tragedy, haven’t you? You weren’t even able to truly reunite with Isaac Beckford…”

“That’s enough,” my voice is firm, but still swallowed by the strange room. However, the force of my words reaches Hatteras, and he stares at me.

“Arronaaaaaaaaaax…..”

I look back at Nemo, who has his arms crossed and is staring at me with a curled lip. Me, who only wanted to help, me—

“I really… reeeeeeeeeeeeally don’t need you speaking for me.”

I think a bullet might have hurt less.

“And you’re…”

The pain’s sting is interrupted by Hatteras approaching me, leaning over me, examining me.

“You’re the one I don’t understand,” says Hatteras. “Pauline Aronnax. The others have stories that make sense- a dream, a desire to find ‘home’, a desire to be ‘real’. What about you, then? Did you decide that you needed this adventure on a mere whim? Did the thought of romancing a broken man intrigue you?”

I grit my teeth. “What is the meaning of all of this, Captain Hatteras? You kidnap our friends, force us to your base, and now you’re insulting us?”

Hatteras shakes his head. “I’m not insulting you, though I can see where you would get that idea. I simply want to know more about all of you.”

“And—and Nemo is not ‘broken’…” my voice trails off when I remember what Nemo had said. He doesn’t need my protection. He doesn’t need me speaking for him. My shoulders droop and I shake my head, going silent.

“Professor…” Conseil begins to walk towards me, but a large hand on my shoulder turns my attention from him. Aleister is standing behind me, a warm smile on his face as he takes in my expression contorted by pain.

“Jonathan is right. He has a strange way of expressing his curiosity, but he bears you no ill will, Aronnax. In fact, you are perhaps the one he was most excited to meet,” says Aleister.

“Jimmy…” Hatteras’ voice trails off as he looks away. “Saying things like that isn’t necessary.”

Aleister laughs. “Don’t be shy, now. Why don’t you take the Professor on a tour of your base? I think she could benefit with some quiet, don’t you?”

“She is the one he was the most excited about…?” it’s a quiet voice, a wound shown for only a moment before being bandaged by the usual bravado. “Haaaaaaaahahaha! I agree, I agreeeeee! Yes, too much stimulation caaaaaaaan’t be good for an overworked mind!”

As Nemo laughs, Hatteras puts his hands over his ears and trembles. “Jimmy…”

Aleister looks back towards Nemo and shakes his head. “We’ll have to do something about the volume difference, I suppose. For now, you two… go on.”

Aleister gives me a gentle push towards Hatteras before turning back to the rest of the group. Hatteras straightens up and gives me a slight bow before turning me away towards one of the exits. As I turn, my eyes seek out Nemo’s. He lifts his hands and curls his fingers in a wave, but it looks more confused than enthusiastic.

“Nemo…”

But Hatteras closes the door behind us before I can say anything else.


	47. Are You a Good Person?

Hatteras is matching my pace exactly as we walk through the narrow hall. Whenever I slow, he slows as well, and whenever I pick up speed, his long legs make longer strides.

No matter his speed, though, he is completely silent. All of the metal echoes of the hallway are caused by my boots.

“You, uh, Aleister said you wanted to make a kingdom up here?”

“I do,” replies Hatteras. “A place where I can explore the extreme beauty of this place. Listen.”

Hatteras stops, cupping a hand around his ear. “Do you hear it?”

I hold my breath and strain, listening for… something.

“I don’t hear anything,” I whisper.

Hatteras sighs, his frown deepening. “The roar of the Northern Wind. It never leaves my ears. I was hoping that maybe you heard it as well.”

I shake my head, surprised when I hear myself saying: “I’m sorry.”

“Nobody does,” says Hatteras. “It’s a burden the Northern Lights gave to me. It’s the punishment for my hubris, the attempt to lay my mortal eyes on things reserved for gods. To go higher than anyone ever has before--!”

Hatteras’ speech is cut off by a whimper as he puts his hands over his ears again. “It’s so noisy… it’s always so noisy now.”

When I notice that he’s trembling, my eyes narrow. I swallow my fear and offer him my arm so he can steady himself.

He looks at me, not taking his hands away from his ears, and shakes his head before straightening up.

“You heart is drawn to broken men,” he says.

I pull my arm back, frowning. “Don’t say things like that.” Then, realizing that I might as well be scolding a child, I continue with an even explanation. “It makes me feel like you’re suggesting I have ulterior motives. It’s insulting.”

Hatteras shakes his head. “No, I don’t mean…”

He sighs and begins to walk forward, slowly pulling his hands away. “I’m not very good at speaking anymore. I’m trying to say that you’re… drawn… to people who need help.”

I walk beside him, still defensive.

“I am a broken man, too,” says Hatteras. “That’s why Aleister chose me.”

I turn to stare at him as he opens a door and takes me inside what looks to be a large laboratory. Men in thick coats are hunched over microscopes, their breath coming out as fog as they examine the composition of various ice samples.

“Chose you?” I look at Hatteras.

“You haven’t noticed?” Hatteras looks back at me. “Aleister has a bit of a bad habit, you see. You want to help us, he wants to collect us.”

“Collect? Broken men?”

Hatteras nods. “Myself. Nemo. There are others in London, too. I’m not sure he realizes that I understood him when he told me. No… I’m sure he does. He knows everything about me. He knows everything about Nemo, too. Everything about you, as well… your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations. He knows everything about everyone he meets.”

“Should you be telling me this?”

Hatteras nods. “He knows that I’d tell you. Otherwise, he would not have said anything. Aleister knows that the harder you struggle to free the man you love, the more he will come to resent you. So it’s useless. Jimmy told me, ‘You and that man are a lot alike. You only hear what you want to hear.’”

I shake my head. “I don’t believe that.”

“It’s true,” says Hatteras.

“Did you want to hear that you’re ‘broken’?” I wrinkle my nose.

Hatteras slowly blinks as if he’s processing what I’m saying. “It’s true. I am broken.”

“You are ill!” I raise my voice, but quickly regret it when I notice how Hatteras recoils at the volume. When I speak again, it’s quiet and even. “You are not broken. Nemo is not broken. What Aleister is doing isn’t ‘collecting broken men’. He’s taking advantage of illnesses.”

Hatteras looks down at the floor, quiet for a long time before he finally says: “Illnesses can be cured. I cannot be. Aleister took me from the sanatorium where I was meant to stay for the rest of my days. Always behind walls… always separated from the source of the wind howling in my ears.”

“So you think letting this man take advantage of you is better?” I shake my head. “Captain, that makes no sense.”

“It makes sense to me,” replies Hatteras. “He gets his amusement, and I get my kingdom. I’m able to surround myself with the lights and the noise of the land I love.”

I put a hand to my forehead, trying to make sense of the madness I’m hearing.

“I’m not… I’m not really the right person to talk with about all this,” I shake my head. “But, as far as I’m concerned, Aleister is even less qualified.”

“Aleister gave me an option outside of the path I had been set upon. I’ll always be grateful to him for that,” says Hatteras. “Perhaps Nemo sees it the same way.”

“The path he’s been set upon? But…” I shake my head, narrowing my eyes. “This adventure would have happened even more smoothly without Aleister’s interference. We’d still be in Steel London, he’d be with his friends…”

“Maybe not now,” says Hatteras. “Maybe before. They worked together on the Nautilus, didn’t they?”

I rub my temples. “Yes… yes they did. I know that Nemo is grateful to Aleister for that time, but… I thought he understood all that Aleister has done to hurt him.”

“It’s easy to say ‘I understand’,” says Hatteras as he begins to slowly walk past the scientists, unaffected by the room’s refrigeration. “It’s easy to smile and even nod along. It’s easy to tell yourself. But that doesn’t mean there’s a connect from the heart to the brain.”

Hatteras turns towards me. “Maybe you should focus more on how he actually feels instead of how he ‘should’ feel.”

I follow after Hatteras, wincing as the cold bites through the thick coat I’m wearing. “Captain, I have known you for less than an hour.”

He tilts his head, strands of his dark hair brushing his cheek.

“How dare you assume to know so much about me? You’re talking as if we’ve known each other for months!” I say.

“I have known you for months,” says Hatteras. “In a way.”

Hatteras gestures me to follow him through to another room, this one a warmer temperature. It’s another laboratory, this time with scientists examining bones and biological samples. I feel excitement beginning to glow brightly inside of me, and I put my hands to my mouth when I come face-to-face with a beautiful skeleton. It’s a whale, but what sets it apart is—

“The unicorn of the sea…” I whisper as I approach and take in the glamour of the horn. “I knew they lived up here, but I didn’t think I’d actually… never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever see something like this! A narwhal!”

Hatteras walks up beside me, though I feel his eyes on me instead of the narwhal skeleton.

“We see them from time to time in the sea,” he says. “Maybe sometime you’ll see one as well, Professor. I think I would enjoy the sketches you’ll make.”

I glance over at Hatteras out of the corner of my eye, regretting my inability to hide my enthusiasm.

“You said you have known me for months,” I say.

“In a way,” Hatteras repeats.

“How?”

“The same way Aleister knew your exact location. Transmitters on Lincoln Island and the Harper. Cyrene Smith might call Nemo and Impey Barbicane ‘Professor’, but she is very much in their league. She came up with the transmitter prototypes that Aleister had his men build and install in the Harper.”

I narrow my eyes. “Does Smith know about this?”

Hatteras shakes his head. “Aleister knew that Cyrene Smith’s loyalty might sway. If she had been aware, I imagine she would have tried to warn you.”

“Transmitters… so you heard everything?” I frown.

“Yes,” says Hatteras. “I heard everything, and Aleister helped fill in the gaps. It was like… an adventure a child might hear as a bedtime story.”

I distinctly remember some events on the Harper that were not appropriate for a child’s bedtime story. I suddenly find it very hard to look at Hatteras.

“So I’m very happy to meet you. It’s like meeting a protagonist I’ve followed for a long time,” Hatteras continues.

I finally bring myself to look back at him. His expression is cold, his lips hide no hints of a smile. How could he say such things with no emotion?

“Did that make you uncomfortable?”

Hatteras’ question brings me back to my present situation. “This… entire scenario makes me uncomfortable, Captain. Why do you need the Harper?”

“Stealth,” he replies.

I stare at him, waiting for an explanation, but instead he returns to looking up at the narwhal skeleton.

I finally give him a push: “Stealth? What do you mean?”

“People will notice airships,” replies Hatteras. “It will be difficult for them to notice submarines. We can use this to our advantage and begin regulating countries’ harbors.”

“Regulating?” I furrow my eyebrows.

Hatteras’ eyes are still on the skeleton. “Yes. Regulate. We must have power somehow in order to ensure that we still have access to resources once we establish ourselves. A submarine is the best way to do that until we’re prepared.”

“You’re talking about attacking. The Harper only has a few weapons for self-defense,” I say. “There’s no way it could ‘regulate’ the way you’re suggesting.”

Hatteras finally looks back at me. “You don’t think its creator would be happy to create weapons? To create bigger, better things with more firepower than ever before? Please, if you don’t think he would, please tell me.”

He’s staring at me, waiting for my answer. It’s strange, though—he knows the answer, and I know the answer—but he’s looking at me with an honest expression. He really, sincerely wants this information.

“I think…” I take a breath, trying to think of how to answer in a way that would be honest and yet still satisfy my worry. “I think Nemo would be excited to push all sorts of boundaries.”

He continues to stare at me.

“… He would be as excited as a child on Christmas morning if he had the opportunity to develop underwater firearms,” I say with a sigh. “Explosives, missiles, bombs of all kinds… the bigger the boom, the bigger his smile.”

“You really are in love,” says Hatteras. “To be able to speak of such bad habits with adoration in your voice.”

“I mean, creating weaponry isn’t bad on its own… he’s a genius. He could accomplish anything that interests him.” I’m making excuses, mentally flailing about like I’m sinking into the quagmire of Hatteras’ eyes. They hold no judgement, though… I suppose I’m the one judging myself.

I wince when Hatteras reaches out towards me to brush a stray hair from my cheek.

“I want to know how you really feel, Aronnax,” he says. “If you tell me… how you really feel…”

“Will you let us return to Steel London?” I ask.

Hatteras pulls his hand back.

“No.”

He looks back up at the skeleton.

“But won’t you feel better if you say it?”

I hug myself. “You’re not making sense, Captain.”

“I see…” Hatteras doesn’t look back down at me. “I should elaborate, then. The impression I’ve gotten from everything I’ve heard is that you consider yourself to be a woman with high morals.”

“High morals?” I know what he means, but I feel like I have to hear it from him.

“You value goodness and compassion. You, much like Impey Barbicane, want to find the goodness in all of humanity.”

“I wouldn’t go that far…” I mutter.

“And yet you have fallen in love with a man who has killed hundreds of people… and he killed many of these people even before the Nautilus. If it was for science’s sake, no price was too great for him. No life, save his own, was untouchable. Aleister told me a great deal, Aronnax, and it took a lot for Queen Victoria to personally request his removal. Most of the men in the Royal Society proudly wear horrible sins in the name of progress.”

“T-That’s…”

“It’s never sat well with you,” Hatteras continues. “You make excuses, you think about how he’s changed, about the friendships he’s made, you focus on one act of redemption instead of the bloody path behind him.”

“And what of that? What’s wrong with focusing on how he saved London?! He’s paid his penance!” I lean towards Hatteras, my fists clenched, and he responds only by taking a calm step backwards.

“Nothing’s wrong with it, it’s only natural,” says Hatteras. “But it’s causing conflict inside of you when you see him with Aleister.”

My eyes widen.

“It’s a reminder of the man he once was—and the man he still is in many ways. Pardon my bluntness, Aronnax, but Nemo will always be wicked. And, excuse me once more, but I believe that you will always love him ‘for’ that instead of ‘in spite of’ that.”

I turn away from him.

“And that’s the root of the conflict. You, a good person, love Nemo in all his wickedness. Of course you want to guide him towards the light, but his heart will always be steeped in that allure. Your heartbeat quickens whenever he holds an explosive, you blush when you think of all the people he’s crushed in the name of his passions! That crazed, dangerous grin that you fell in love with—”

“That’s enough!” I shake my head, mimicking Hatteras’ motion of putting my hands over my ears.

“I’ll stop,” Hatteras’ quiet voice cuts through my defenses, and he walks around me, leaning to my height, hair tumbling in front of his face like he’s a horrid specter. “I’ll stop for good as soon as you tell me ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I don’t want to hurt you, Aronnax. I just want to know. I want to know.”

I slowly look up at him.

“I want to know what you think,” he says. “Can a good person love the darkness? Can they still be ‘good’ if they dream of being at someone’s side as they hurt others? Are you a good person, Aronnax? I really, really want to know—”

Hatteras reaches for me again, only for his hand to be slapped away.

“Conseil!” I look over at my friend as he steps in-between us.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Captain,” says Conseil.

Conseil looks fully ready to continue to defend me, but Hatteras shrinks away and gives us another slight bow.

“You’re right. I’ve overstepped,” he says. “Aronnax, I really didn’t mean to cause you harm. I only wanted to alleviate your worries. … I suppose I have failed.”

I couldn’t make myself respond to him even if I wanted to, so I just shake my head and slink further behind Conseil.

“Quite!” Conseil answers for me. “I haven’t seen the Professor this upset since…”

He trails off and clears his throat. “Well, about that…” he looks back at me. “I never did give you a proper apology, did I?”

“Later,” I shake my head. “For now, I really want to get out of here.”

Hatteras posture stiffens as he raises his hand. Two men in the owl-like masks are quickly at his side.

“Take them to their beds. Aronnax gets the private bunk,” he says quietly.

“What…” I manage to bark out a laugh. “So you can listen in on me some more?”

“It is a nice stage, isn’t it?” Hatteras throws it right back at me.

I can’t hide the look of disgust on my face as the guards lead Conseil and I away from the Captain.


	48. Target Practice

“I feel disgusting…” I pace back and forth across the room the guards led us to. In actuality, Conseil is bunking with Ned and Barbicane farther down the hall, but I asked him to stay with me until I calm down.

“He was listening to EVERYTHING, Conseil!” I turn towards the man sitting on my bed looking thoughtful as always. “I could bathe for months and I don’t think my skin would stop crawling!”

I hug myself before sitting down next to Conseil. “What’s worse is all those awful things he said. Conseil, what should I do?”

“I hate giving advice,” Conseil says flatly. “And I wasn’t there for the majority of it, anyhow.”

He taps me on the shoulder and gestures for me to turn around, which I do. He begins to undo my braid and thread it out through his fingers before taking a hairbrush to it.

“Where did you even find a brush?” I say with a laugh.

“I like to think I’m prepared for anything,” he replies.

The soothing motion of the hairbrush begins to make me relax, and I slump forward slightly.

It’s still difficult for me to speak, though: “You really weren’t planning on killing Nemo…?”

“Of course not,” says Conseil. “Believe me, I’m not proud of such underhandedness, but Ned’s actions were… well, they weren’t unexpected but I was still surprised… whatever that means.”

Silence settles back in and I close my eyes, using the time to think about everything that’s happened.

“I don’t need to be protected.”

“Yes, you’ve said that,” replies Conseil.

I shake my head, making him fuss as he has to sort my hair back out.

“I’m not the only one who’s said that,” I say. “I think I understand where you’re coming from a little more, Conseil.”

“Do you?” he asks.

“Sometimes, you want so badly to protect someone from the bad choices they’re making. You might say or do things that you swear is in their best interest, but you forget to listen to them in the process…”

I turn around and look at my best friend. “I love Nemo. I know that makes you worry, but I can’t stop loving him.”

Conseil just sighs and pulls strands of my hair out of the brush.

“But I shouldn’t have left you behind,” I continue. “I think I have a better understanding of what you went through.”

Conseil looks at me. “Professor, please don’t say things like that until you have to sail around the Atlantic Ocean for a month looking for any sign of a submarine! Oh, and all that with a man twice your size who is an absolute brute and—”

“And… calls you sweetheart?”

Conseil turns me back around to give my hair another brushing, but not before I see his cheeks redden.

\-----

“Putting this place to good use!”

The next day, Ned swings his arms happily as he looks around the shooting range. “Okay, Polly, over here.”

“When did I become Polly to you?” I ask as I follow the large man.

“About the tenth time I heard Impey call you that,” he replies. “Okay, we’re going to have a shooting lesson.”

My eyes widen. “Shooting lesson?”

“Yeah, like pew-pew? Ever shot a pistol before?”

“I was taught how to use a hunting rifle when I was younger, but I never used it,” I say. “I’m really not one for violence.”

“Yeah? What about defense? What if your beau decides it’d be fun to try and blow you up?”

“Ned Land, that’s--”

“You don’t think it could happen? Fine, then what about that Hatteras guy? What if he shows up under your bed one night?”

“…………”

Ned Land and I stare each other down before I slowly reach out my hand and say: “Give me that gun.”

Ned Land puts the gun in my hand, and I’m surprised by how heavy it is.

“Okay, now aim it at the target.” Ned takes a step back and watches as I lift the gun.

Then he bursts out laughing.

“What, are you going to a fencing match or something? Does m’lady want me to fetch her rapier?”

I glare at him out of the corner of my eyes. “There are a million reasons to laugh at me, Ned, and most of them don’t require you taking the time to put a gun in my hand.” I lower the weapon and begin to walk away when Ned shoos me back to the target.

“No, no, come on. Here, spread your legs apart and don’t lock those knees up. Keep them loose, bend them a bit. Use both hands to hold the pistol. You don’t want to look tough, you want to be effective.”

I follow Ned’s instructions and take a deep breath when he takes a step back.

“Okay, on the count of three, I want you to fire. One—”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait a minuuuuuuute!”

My breath is gone in a moment, but I’m too nervous to tear my eyes away from the target so I can only hear Nemo as he swaggers in.

“Wheeeeeere are you aiming, my dear? You’re more likely to hit the ceeeeeeeiling than any person with a stance like that!”

His words are so acidic that my chest burns when he calls me ‘my dear’.

“Looks fine to me,” says Ned.

“It looks fine to yooooooooou because you’re a 200cm tall imbecile who can’t looooooook beyond his nooooooooose! Or maybe you’re so used to harpooning that you’ve gotten your angles mixed uuuuup! Either waaaaaay…”

I shiver when Nemo steps behind me and put his hands on my arms.

“Lower,” he says. “Looooooooooower…”

I bring the pistol down to the height he insists on.

“The man was right about oooooone thing… accuracy over style is beeeeeest for beginners. Don’t aim for the heeeeead…”

He pokes the back of my head.

“Aim for the torsoooo…”

He drags his finger down the back of my neck and the length of my spine, making my hairs stand on end.

He puts his hands on my hips and moves one of his legs in-between mine, making my eyelids flutter for a split second until I realize he’s trying to fix my stance.

“My sweetheart wouldn’t forgive me for leaving you alone with that creep,” Ned mutters, crossing his arms. “But I really don’t want to stick around for this. Just remember, Polly: that guy’s half the reason I wanted to teach you how to fire a gun in the first place.”

“She would neeeeeeeeeever have shot me with such a bad stance!” Nemo guffaws. “Shoo.”

I hear Ned Land groan as he exits, shutting the door behind him.

“I wasn’t planning on—”

“You shush,” says Nemo. He runs his hands back up my body and adjusts my shoulders while muttering: “And people say myyyyyyyyyy posture is bad…”

It feels so good for him to touch me again. Even if it’s just for a lesson, I never want to forget this sensation. His hands are so warm I can feel the heat through the fabric. I’m losing my mind just being close to him again.

Damn it all! Damn Aleister and damn me too! When Nemo lets go of my shoulders I lower the gun to look back at him.

He looks a little surprised—at least, that’s what the noise that comes out of his mouth tells me—but he still bends towards me as I arch up to press my lips to his.

Closed mouth, lips to lips. It’s still so wonderful that my mouth aches for more as we part.

The silence that follows is unbearable.

I finally speak to fill it: “Hatteras wanted me to tell him if I was a good person,”

I’m surprised when the edges of Nemo’s lips tug into a smile and he lets out a giggle. “Now you’ve got meeeeeeee curious, too! What did you tell hiiiiiiiiim?”

“I don’t know…” I say. “He wanted to know if a person could still be good if they willingly stay at the sides of those who hurt others. Do I really do that...? I don’t know how to answer him. What do you think, Nemo? Am I…”

I look away. “Am I a good person?”

Nemo tilts his head and idly toys with the gun that—when did he take that?! I look from my empty hands to his awful grin.

“I have a better questiooooooon for you, my darling,” he says. “Do you caaaaaaare whether you are or not?”

I look up at him.

‘That crazed, dangerous grin that you fell in love with.’

Hatteras’ quiet voice shoots through my mind like ice, and my stomach lurches. A realization hits me, no matter how much I want to keep it buried.

I take a deep breath. “I don’t. I really don’t care… not one bit.”

Nemo shrugs, swinging the gun back and forth on his finger like it’s a toy instead of a weapon. “The definiiiiiiition of a ‘good person’ is uuuuusually dictated by victors. The magnetic puuuuull of a moral compass is skewed by politics, biases, wealth… that’s why I laughed when the Royal Society tooooold me I didn’t have ooooone. My ‘ethics’, if they can be called that, are dictated by nobody but myself.”

“And what are your ethics telling you now?” I tilt my head.

Nemo scrunches his nose and looks deep in thought.

“Weapons are fuuuuuuuuuuun,” he finally says as he sets the gun down.

“That’s… it?”

“That’s aaaaaaaaaaall I feel the need to tell you.”

His serious voice is a grim reminder of the distance between us. That even though we were touching only moments before, our minds were separated by a valley of distrust.

And our hearts…

My thought process is interrupted by Nemo grabbing my wrists and yanking me up so I’m barely on my tiptoes and staring into the cold metal of his goggles.

I try to tell him that I really do want to understand him, but when I open my mouth he covers it with his own, sliding his tongue in so deep that I’m afraid I’ll choke. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to fend his tongue off with my own, but this only makes him moan and grip my wrists tighter.

I flush as I realize that I’m moaning as well, though it’s drowned out by his volume. He must hear it, though, because when he finally pulls back his breathless smile tells me that he knows everything.

“I really… reeeeeeeeeeally wish you hadn’t pissed me off…”

He leans forward and runs his tongue over my lower lip before taking it into his mouth and nipping it with such sharpness that I can taste my own blood when he kisses me again.

“Even now I’m a slave to the beauty of sciiieeencee…..” his voice is muffled by our kisses. “You don’t understand me at all, and yeeeet…”

He pulls me to stand on top of his boots so we’re closer in height before kissing me again, this time gently as he wraps his arms around me.

“You have my body completely ensnared… feeeeeeeel it?”

He moves his leg and pushes me against him, and I nod breathlessly.

“You’re the biology professooooor, Polly-chaaaaaan. Tell me, what should we do noooooow?”

I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him so hard that even his confused noise is crushed under my lips. Nemo stumbles back against the wall, making it easier for me to keep his shoulders pinned as I continue to kiss him.

But why do I feel so empty? He wants it, I want it, but… it’s not the same if there’s no connection behind it, no desire to express love for one another.

Even as he runs his fingers through my hair and practically rips my braid undone, I think about how much I would rather hold him and tell him how much he means to me. Something he surely wouldn’t listen to right now.

“I…” I keep on kissing him, despite tears welling in my eyes. “I miss you so much!”

I wrap my arms around his waist before I melt into sobs, burying my head in his shoulder.

It’s a long time before Nemo shifts.

“Mmm…” he turns his head and rests his cheek on my shoulder. “It’s so nice to be the ‘wanted’ ooooone…”

He gently begins to pet my hair, shushing me like I’m a fussing child.

“Do you know what feels even better, though… my Pauline?”

I lean my head into his neck, enjoying his warmth again. It’s been too long.

He continues to pet my hair as he murmurs: “Holding that power over someone else.”

I furrow my eyebrows as I try to make sense of what he’s saying before I’m suddenly shoved back. As I stumble, Nemo grabs the pistol and aims.

I’m not breathing as I feel the bullet whizz past my body and thunk into something hard. Trembling, I look over my shoulder to see a small device in the wall, now smoking and sputtering sparks.

“Scaaaaaaaaaared?” His mad smile widens. “Gooooood…” He tilts his head as if to examine me before straightening up. “But I really was just tired of our intimaaaaate moments being broadcast…”

“Hatteras,” I mutter. I look back at Nemo, trying to think of what to say next.

“Nemo, I’m…” I take a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t try to understand. I was just so angry and hurt, I…”

He cuts me off with a sharp wave of his hand before turning on his heels.

“See you laaaaaater… Aronnax.”

He looks away, humming to himself like I’m not even there anymore.


	49. Brother Dearest

I brace myself as I walk towards the room that Impey saw Nemo go into. This ridiculousness has gone on for long enough, and I knew I would have to confront him directly.

Talking to Aleister would be pointless. I knew I could go to him back when I was on the Nautilus, but the situation has completely changed. Though Aleister and I have never been on the same ‘side’, we weren’t exactly enemies back then, either. He wanted to resurrect my father, and I wanted answers.

But that was a long time ago.

I knock on Nemo’s door and wait until I hear him say: “Hmmmmmmm? Now whooooooooo might be peck-peck-pecking on my dooooor?”

He opens it so quickly that I have to jump back so that I don’t get smacked in the face.

“Ho-hooooo! Is the pretty doll curious about the science I’m working on? Or, perhaaaaaaaps…” his smile drops into a sneer. “Perhaaaaaaaps you’re just here to squawk at me about Aleister like Cyreeeeeeeeene Smith did earlier.”

“Close,” I say. “Let me in, Nemo.” He doesn’t put up a fight as I move past him. His room is bigger than the one that Cyrene and I share, but most of the space is taken by a workbench covered in paper. I step over what must be his discarded ideas balled up on the floor before turning around to stare at him evenly.

“What’s going on, Nemo?” I ask. “You’ve been acting different ever since Aleister showed up.”

Nemo laughs and strikes one of his strange poses. “Perhaps I’m simply ecstaaaaaaaaaaaaatic to see my friend again, hmm? Maybe I’m feeling nostaaaaaaaaalgic!”

“You locked yourself up in your room instead of bothering Impey, you made Pauline cry, you’ve gone back to calling me ‘doll’, and I bet those are weapon designs on the table, aren’t they?”

“Oh! Yes! They’re magniiiificent, want to see?!” Nemo tries to shove one of his papers in my face, but I firmly shake my head and look away.

“You’re not…” I was about to say ‘thinking straight’, but I’m not sure Nemo has ever ‘thought straight’. “You’re not the usual Nemo. Even back on the Nautilus you never pushed your friends away.”

Usually they were trying to push him away, but saying that probably isn’t the best idea.

Nemo has gone back to looking over his papers, his back to me. It’s going to take a lot to get through to him, but I know how to make an impact.

I’m just not sure I’m ready to say it. I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to say it. Is it coming from a place of pity? Probably. But maybe this weirdo has won me over in his own way. I’ll just blame it on Impey and Pauline.

I smile to myself and shake my head, hoping that Impey never finds out what I’m about to say:

“I hate seeing my big brother act like this.”

The papers drop to the floor. Nemo’s hands slowly fall to his sides and he looks up with a shudder, staring at something ahead of him that I can’t see.

Finally there’s a groan.

“A year ago… a month ago… even a week ago… hearing that would have made me so haaaaaaaappyyyyy…”

His fingers twitch before he slowly, staggeringly sways around the workbench and collapses on his bed.

“Nemo…?”

I hear him say something, muffled into a pillow.

This wasn’t what I expected. I ask again: “Nemo? Did you say something?”

This time I understand. He’s saying “I’m tired.”

I try to think of what to do when I notice his shoulders trembling.

I’ve seen Nemo cry dozens of times, but this isn’t his usual joyful tears– these are the same kind of tears I saw on Lincoln Island when Finis confronted him about the reality of Aleister’s involvement.

He slowly lifts himself up and takes a deep breath before shouting so loud that I have to cover my ears: “I’m tired of everyone just telling me what I want to hear! I’m tired of being uuuuuuuused!”

He sits up and, to my surprise, takes off his goggles before balling them into his fist and slamming them into his bed. “I’m tired of being a dog that has to beg for attention! Why do I have to?!”

His eyes are are red, his usual beauty marred by his grit teeth and furrowed eyebrows. “The Royal Society! Aleister! Finis! My—“ he pauses to bite down on his knuckles to fight the pain searing through him. “My darling professor—even you, Cardia! All of you think you know what’s best for me, all of you twist my intentions with kind words! I’m sick of it!”

Nemo suddenly leaps up and walks towards me, and I take a few steps back before bracing myself for whatever he had in mind, clearly beyond reason.

“None of you understaaaaaaaaand! None of you know what I want! What I want more than anything!” Nemo throws his head back and laughs horriblly. “And—and thaaaaaat’s it, thaaaaaaat’s it! It’s the easiest thing! All I want is…”

A fresh wave of tears flows down his face.

“I just want to study science, that’s all…” He bites his lip and shakes his head. “I want to study science with my colleagues. My partners… f-friends… and…”

He sinks back down onto his bed and puts his head in his hands. It’s a pathetic sight.

“Impey Barbicane is the only one who has shown me kindness just… just to be kind. I thought Aleister… I hoped he… but he was lying…. A friend wouldn’t have told Victoria… e-everything that happened on the Nautilus…”

I can’t understand most of his muttering, but at the very least it sounds like he understands that Aleister has been using him from the beginning.

“How long have you known?” I ask.

Nemo shrugs. “I thiiiiiiiiink… since Finis told me that Aleister … t-told the Queeeeeen…” He sniffs. “You knooooow... Aleister is the reason I’m not in L-London with my friends…”

“You have friends here, Nemo,” I say. “You can’t forget that.”

Nemo droops so low that he looks like he’s been snapped in half.

“Leeeeeave.”

I shake my head. “I won’t leave until you tell me what you want to do now.”

Nemo looks up at me, face contorted in rage. “What sort of question is thaaaaaaaaaat?!”

“If you had all the laboratories in the world in front of you, all the funding, manpower, everything. What would you want to do, Nemo? Would you want to stay here and build weapons for Aleister and that captain?” 

Nemo springs to his feet and lunges for me. I duck out of the way and he stumbles, lurching at an uncomfortable angle.

“Juuuust! Gooooo!”

There’s no way I can get more out of him like this. Still facing him, I step backwards through the doorway. “Think about it, Nemo.”

He shoves the door closed and I can hear him lean against it, the metal muffling his wails.


	50. Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty and Nice

While all of this was going on, our brave heroes Impey Barbicane and Cyrene Smith decided to put their heads together and explore Northernmost Base. With Ned and Conseil comforting Aronnax and Cardia trying to get through to Nemo, they determined that it was up to them to figure out how to escape the North Pole.

“Nemo said that it was breakthrough technology up here…” says Cyrene, entering the hangar and looking over her shoulder at Impey.

“He said it was -probably- breakthrough technology,” says Impey. “I think he was grasping at straws. Ned was right… the North Pole just isn’t a viable base. These buildings are pretty much fancy metal tents.”

“Their air power is impressive, though,” says Cyrene.

“It’s easy enough to buy airships if you have the money,” says Impey. “But making a permanent base to put them in… that would take engineering that would defy all the laws that I know of. I know this Hatteras guy.”

Impey begins to climb up a ladder to take a closer look at one of the grounded airships.

“I mean, I followed his story in the newspapers. He’s like you, Cyrene.”

Cyrene puts a hand on her hip. “Excuse me, Professor?”

“N-No, I mean,” Impey waves his hand. “I mean he’s an explorer. He was trying to get an expedition up here for years before it was finally announced. Nobody wanted to join him. … I think I can understand his frustration. But, the difference between you two is that Hatteras is no engineer. He’s a genius when it comes to traveling and exploring and braving the wilderness, but he relies on other people for the technology he uses.”

“So that’s why he…” Cyrene lets out a hiss from between her teeth. “’Invited’ us up here.”

“Looks like he needs us pretty badly, too,” says Impey. “Most of these ships won’t survive very long exposed to the weather up here.”

He puts a hand on the hull of one of the ships. “Poor girls… they’re giving their all, but if their owner doesn’t know how any of this works, there’s only so much they can do for him.”

“Okay, Professor Barbicane,” Cyrene crosses her arms and walks below him. “Be real with me. How viable is this guy’s plan?

Impey closes his eyes and drums his fingers on the hull. Finally he sighs and climbs back down the ladder.

“Look… you know I’m the last person on earth to say that someone’s dream isn’t going to come true. But he’s gone all about it the wrong way. He should’ve gotten the tech developed before he came up here. He’s moving against a ticking clock, and it’s moving so fast that I don’t think even Nemo and I could save it.”

“You’re right. There is no way that Hatteras’ plan will work.”

Impey and Cyrene look over when they hear the gears attached to the hangar door begin to turn and the massive thing slowly begins to roll open.

It stops shortly after its begun, though, leaving barely enough room for the speaker to stand in the frame, the northern wind making his red coat billow like a flag. Slung over one of his shoulders is a large sack, and in his other hand are the reins of a beautiful creature standing next to him.

“Does that guy have a reindeer?” Cyrene squints.

“That guy is standing outside with barely a coat on. Hey, man! Are you okay?!” Impey begins to bound over, but the stranger takes a few steps forward and gestures for the engineer to stand back as the door behind him slowly lowers back down.

The man’s hooded coat is fur-lined and draped with a chain that wraps over his shoulder and around the sack he carries.

Standing in the snow that flew into the hangar, a reindeer at his side, Cyrene’s eyes widen.

“You okay? You gotta be half-frozen!” Impey takes another step towards the guy, recoiling when the reindeer gives an indignant sniff.

“I’m fine,” says the man, his voice light and merry. “You’ve grown into a very kind man, Impey.”

Impey takes a step back, watching as the man in front of him takes off his hood.

Cottony white hair falls past his shoulders, and upon his head is a crown of holly. His cheeks are rosy and his spectacles glint from the end of his nose.

“No way…” Cyrene shakes her head. “There’s no way.”

The man laughs, a hearty ho-ho-ho that Impey and Cyrene have only heard in their dreams. “Do you know of many men at the North Pole who spend their time with reindeer?”

Cyrene and Impey slowly look at each other, wondering if they’re seeing the same thing. Though he might be young and clean-shaven, the resemblance is uncanny. Besides that, he was able to walk from… wherever… to this place wearing a coat that, in all actuality, looks pretty light.

Impey takes a deep breath.

“Father Christmas….”

He suddenly opens his eyes and puts a hand to his chest. “Please tell me I’m on the nice list!! I’ve been really good, I promise!”

“Wait, hold on, you’re… you’re actually…” Cyrene points at the jolly man in red. “I mean, I didn’t think you were… um…”

The man smiles. “If it makes you feel better, you can call me Nicholas and consider me… just an eccentric of the North.”

The way he said that makes Impey suddenly straighten up. His smile, his strange appearance… from everything he’s seen, it reminds him of…

“I can’t believe it. This whole time… San-chan has been in league with Santa Claus and hasn’t told me!”

Nicholas throws his head back and gives one of his trademarks laughs. “Oh, Saint! He hasn’t told you about me? Well, that’s not too surprising. How many people would believe?”

“I’m still not sure I… I mean, not that I doubt you or anything…” Cyrene stutters.

“Cyrene, if you’re the reason we don’t get Christmas presents this year…” Impey shoots a glare her way.

“Woah!” Cyrene shakes her head. “I was just…” She focuses her vision back on Nicholas. “How do you make it around the world in one night? How do you get into everyone’s houses? How can you carry all the gifts in one sleigh? FLYING REINDEER?!”

Nicholas continues to laugh, shaking his head and giving his reindeer a pat on the back. “Let me ask you this, Cyrene Smith. Would you rather know the answers to my secrets, or the answers to your situation?”

Impey and Cyrene look conflicted but eventually nod.

“You are right, Impey,” says Nicholas. “There is no way Hatteras’ plan will work in any future. That is what Idea has seen.”

“Idea…” Impey scrunches his nose. “Yeah, you all follow prophecy, don’t you? Um, it’s been awhile…”

“I’m here to check on you for Saint,” says Nicholas. “I believe he has already spoken with your marine biologist.”

“Huh? Polly-chan’s spoken with San-chan?” Impey tilts his head. “… Probably a good thing she kept quiet about it. I can’t imagine she would’ve gotten a good reaction from her boyfriend.”

“Imagine what Professor Nemo would do if you told him you met Santa Claus,” says Cyrene.

“Uh, yeah. Not happening. There’s no way that guy believes. I bet he’s on the naughty list, isn’t he, Santa?”

Nicholas just gives a warm smile. “You should make escaping your priority. The wind will be dying down in about a week.”

“A week, huh?” Impey puts a hand to his chin, going into business mode. “That’s not a lot of time. We’ll have to be sneaky about it, too.”

“Not as sneaky as you might expect,” says Nicholas. “The men here are not loyal to Hatteras, they are loyal to Aleister.”

“That’s not reassuring,” says Cyrene.

Nicholas closes his eyes. “Speaking of men that have never been on the nice list… I can at least say that you will not have to worry about Aleister trying to stop you.”

“Are you taking care of him?” Cyrene’s eyes widen.

Nicholas shakes his head. “No. But you should know that Aleister’s goals don’t align with Hatteras’, either. He will not oppose you.”

“That makes no sense,” says Impey. “Why would he go to all of the trouble of kidnapping us if he didn’t want Hatteras to have his kingdom?”

“Why do wicked men force dogs to fight?” asks Nicholas. “Why do they go to bear baiting? Some men are delighted by pitting men against each other in the same way. He has taken Hatteras under his wing the same way he did your friend. But, as I’m sure you’ve realized, he doesn’t have their interests at heart.”

“Yeah… you’ve made that clear,” says Impey.

Nicholas reaches up and pets the reindeer’s nose. “I can’t take credit for it. To be honest, most of what I’m telling you is from Saint.”

“Then why isn’t San-chan here?” asks Impey. “I mean, not that it isn’t great to meet THE Santa Claus, but… man, it would’ve been great to see him again.”

“He misses you as well,” says Nicholas. “However, Idea is still keeping a very close eye on Saint. It would draw attention for him to suddenly investigate the North Pole.”

“But not Santa Claus,” says Cyrene.

“Exactly,” Nicholas says with a smile. “Omnibus lets me keep to myself up here. Hmm... It might not be neighborly of me, but I look forward to this eyesore being taken down. I do pity that boy, though.”

“Hatteras?” asks Impey.

“He’s a very sad person. He was always filled with the spirit of Christmas before his accident. Impey, I always try to look out for those who once believed. I know it’s not fair for me to put this on you, but can you and your friends save him?”

Impey gives a firm nod. “I never give up on anyone, not ever. How can we save him?”

Nicholas lets out a breath, his eyes sparkling as he looks at Impey. “Thank you, truly. All you need to do is get him back to Steel London. There he can get back to his treatments and will live the quiet life he wants.”

“Got it,” says Impey. “Hey, Cyrene, looks like you’ll be able to pay Hatteras back for the kidnapping.”

“Good,” Cyrene’s eyes narrow.

“Let’s see, I think that’s everything,” says Nicholas. “Oh, almost. If you two manage to escape here and bring Hatteras with you, I can promise you wonderful presents this Christmas.”

Impey takes a deep breath. “Do you… have any gravity alleviators in that sack of yours?”

Nicholas laughs again, but he shakes his head. “If I had the power, I would have had you on the moon over a dozen times by now, Impey.”

“Aw, Santa Claus is rooting for me!” Impey grins. “That’s a great present right there.”

“A week,” says Cyrene. “A week to get everything ready for takeoff and to take Hatteras.”

“There is one more thing I would like for you to do,” says Nicholas, snapping his fingers. “Ah, well, it might not be very jolly of me to ask this, but…”

He pauses to clear his throat.

“Would you mind asking that loud friend of yours to detonate this place?”

“……………..”

“……………….”

Cyrene and Impey look at each other.

“How should we phrase that, Professor Barbicane?” Cyrene squints.

“Uh… ‘Hey, Nemo. Santa Claus wants you to blow up this base. Merry Christmas?’”


	51. Always

Ned, Conseil, and I received a memo from Barbicane that we are to have a meeting the next morning, so we decide that it would be best to retire early.

How long have we been here? Two days? A week? With the sun hardly dipping below the horizon, it’s hard to tell how time flows here. My mental state hasn’t helped, either. I wonder how much progress we could have made had I not been keeping Ned and Conseil cooped up in here with me. Moping is pointless. I can grieve and lament and cry all I want once I get back in Steel London. For now, the best thing I can do is sleep. I’ll feel better in the morning and will be able to contribute to our meeting.

As I’m smoothing out the bed, my eyes are drawn to one of the corners of the ceiling above me. I shudder when I spot one of the listening devices that Nemo had shot back in the range. I take off my boots before gingerly climbing onto my bed and reaching for it. I’m not very good at balancing, but somehow I manage to grab ahold of the speaker. I give a mighty yank and it pulls free, gears falling onto my bed as I stumble back and fall onto my rump.

The device was attached to a tube of some kind in the wall, so with a sigh I stand back up to investigate. I feel no air on my skin as I stand on my tiptoes to look through the tube, so I guess that its only purpose was to guide the sound. With a disgusted expression, I ball up one of my bedsheets and shove it into the tube.

“Take that, Hatteras,” I mutter as I shakily climb off my bed and fling the listening device into the waste bin.

Without any further fanfare, I begin to undress. Hatteras was… kind enough, I suppose, to provide nightdresses, though they look more like hospital gowns than anything. Still, it’s nice to get out of my work clothes. I fold them out neatly on my desk before going to wash my face in the basin that Conseil brought in earlier. 

I barely have time to take off my glasses before I hear the door jiggle. I breathe a sigh of relief when I remember that I had locked it and take a moment to make myself decent. It’s likely one of Hatteras’ men—or perhaps Hatteras himself—come to investigate what had happened to his transmitter.

“Oohhhhhhhhhhhh………. sniff…. uuggghhhhhhhhh….. sniff… sniff…”

That is definitely not Hatteras.

As the sniffling and groaning continues, I consider letting him continue to stand there, alone. That consideration is battling with a burning urge to throw the door open and squeeze him so tight that he forgets all his pain.

Holding power over someone else, huh? Isn’t that what Nemo said felt good?

But listening to him crying like this doesn’t feel good at all.

“Compromise,” I whisper to myself. “Compromise, Pauline.”

I take a deep breath, walk over to the door, and unlock it. A moment later, it hisses open and I’m faced with a soggy scientist with a puffy red nose and tear-stained cheeks.

Hardly a week ago I would have pulled him to my chest and cradled him, letting him cry as much as he needed. I want to do it so badly now! But instead I ball my hands into fists, standing there, watching him evenly.

“Nemo…” I say, trying to keep my voice cool. “What’s wrong?”

I had meant to say ‘How can I help you?’ ‘Do you need something?’ ‘Yes?’ But the words that came out were laced with worry.

He wipes his cheek with the back of one of his gloves and gives a pathetic sniff before straightening up as much as he can muster. Even though he hiccups, he’s clearly trying his best to present himself as a formidable man despite his pathetic aura.

“I…”

His shoulders slump back down and his lip trembles before he opens his mouth and wails: “IIIIII caaaaaaan’t sleeeeeeeeeeeep…!!”

He’s not making it easy for me to hold back, and I feel my stance soften. Still, instead of running forward to hold him, I take a deep breath and ask: “What happened?”

Nemo hiccups again, looking around expectantly. The poor thing probably thought that he would have been hugged by now, too.

“I…. uuumm…” Nemo sniffs before shaking his head. “I—I thooooought I told you… mmm… I gueeess… I shouldn’t have expected you to remembeeeeer…”

He rubs his arm sheepishly before looking up at me with a weak smile. “I don’t sleep well…. withooooout you…. Pauline…” 

My chest hurts when he says that to me.

“From how upset you were, I thought you had gotten hurt.”

“I aaaaaaaaaam hurt!” I’m so surprised that I take a step back when he suddenly yells. His face contorts again as he begins loudly sobbing. “Nothing, nobody, no matter how haaaaaaard I try nobody understands! Nobody… nobody even triiiies…” 

“That’s not true,” I say. “The world’s most genius scientist must really be hurting if he can’t see the evidence in front of him.”

I take a step back towards him and try to look him in the eye, which is difficult with the way he’s shaking his head.

“What about Barbicane visiting you every day in jail? What about Cardia, Smith, Aouda, even Finis!”

Nemo tries to speak, but all that comes out is a garbled cry. With a sigh I take him by the hands and gently lead him into my room, letting the door slide shut behind him.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” I say as I walk him over to the bed. “Want me to take off your coat?”

“N-No…”

I nod before sitting him down and brushing his hair out of his face. He leans into my fingers like he hasn’t had a gentle touch in years.

I pull over a chair and set it up next to the nightstand across from him. “I’m sorry the water’s a little cold… can you take off your goggles for me?”

Nemo nods and peels his goggles away, leaving red rings behind.

With a smile I sit down in front of him and begin to gently wipe his cheeks.

“D-Don’t expect an apoooology!” he suddenly blurts out. “I never—I never apologize when sciiiiience is involved!”

I rinse out the towel and wipe his forehead.

“Is science involved in the situation with Aleister?” I ask him quietly.

For a moment it looks like he’s about to cry again, so I reach out with my free hand to rub one of his shoulders.

“S-Science… is involved in everything I do…”

I let out a sigh and sit back.

He said before that he was angry with me, and even as I’m sitting here comforting him I know I’m still upset as well.

“I won’t ask for an apology, then,” I finally say. “On two conditions.”

Nemo slowly nods and speaks with an unusual firmness: “Name them.”

“The first is that you don’t expect an apology from me, either,” I say.

Nemo jolts, his eyes burning with confusion and fury.

“I know, it logically makes sense that I would apologize to you,” I continue. “I hurt you. I was trying to speak for you instead of supporting you and listening to you. That’s how you feel, right?”

A few more tears are pushed out of his his periwinkle eyes, but he takes the towel from me and wipes them himself.

“But you must understand that logically… it makes sense that you would apologize to me as well. You hurt me. You frightened me. You took advantage of my weaknesses. … That’s how I feel.”

I jump in surprise when I feel a wetness on my knuckles, white from gripping my nightdress. Tears. My own tears.

I take a deep breath.

“I won’t ask for an apology as long as you don’t expect one from me, either.”

The warmth of my tears is replaced with the warmth of Nemo’s trembling fingers on my cheek.

“T-That’s… that’s faaaaaair…”

He gently rubs his thumb along the bone, and I lean into his gloved hand. Leather, metal, all the wonderful things that are a part of the man I love. They comfort me just as much as lavender ever did.

“Pauline,” he says. It feels so wonderful to hear him say my name like that. “You said that there were two conditions.”

I nod.

“The second is… this… this is a little hard to ask,” I take a breath.

Nemo looks worried, but I quickly reach out to take his cheek in my hand so we’re mirroring each other.

“I’m really not…”

I need to think of how to phrase this.

“I’m… I guess I’m not as good at picking up on signals as you think I am,” I finally manage to get a sentence out. “Could you, maybe, talk to me?”

I scrunch my lips. “I mean. Plainly?”

Nemo tilts his head with that confused ‘mrrrph?’ that I find so endearing.

“You said that I didn’t understand you. I guess I really didn’t. But I … in my defense, I didn’t have much to go on. If you need me to understand something, Nemo… could you try telling me in a simpler language?”

I finally let out a laugh. “I’m not a genius like you are!”

“Hmmmm….” Nemo leans in closer, his eyes half-lidded. He would look very handsome if his face weren’t red and swollen from crying. I’m sure I look like just as much of a wreck. “I do enjoy being ‘senseeeeeei’… I suppose I could tryyyyyyyyyy….”

He’s so close to me, when I open my mouth I’m almost touching him. I keep on glancing from his eyes to his lips, soft and full.

“Please, Nemo,” I say. “I can’t… I can’t try to understand if I don’t know where… to… begin…”

My sentence trails off as our lips are drawn together like they’re magnetized. Gentle, hesitating, warm and wet and uncertain.

“Mm…” His eyelashes flutter as he pulls away to take a ragged breath. “A sound arguuuument. Very well, theeeen…”

We kiss again, and again, slowly, tracing our fingers over each other so we can memorize the sensation of each other’s features.

Eventually, Nemo reaches out to me and I take his hand. He gives me a firm tug and we both fall onto the bed, limbs tangling like always as we make ourselves comfortable. This is normal, this is how we’re meant to be.

Usually he has his head on my chest, or sometimes I’ll nuzzle my cheek into his. But tonight we’re facing each other, hands entwined between our mouths as we gently kiss each other’s fingers.

“What’s a scientist without his heaaaaaaaaart?” Nemo speaks surprisingly quietly, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. “Don’t forgeeeeeet, Professor… it’s yours… I love you.”

“I love you too, Nemo. Always.” I pause to kiss his knuckles before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek, murmuring into his skin: “I mean, for as long as I can.”

He sniffs again before smiling at me.

“Now, can we talk?” I ask.

He slowly indents his head in a nod.

“Aleeeister… really helped meeee,” says Nemo. He sighs before rolling onto his back, recalling memories that make his lips twitch into a frown. I climb over to him and lean my head on his shoulder, putting my hand over his heart so he knows that I’m there.

“Isaac-senseeeei…. he didn’t understaaaaaaand… I couldn’t get through to hiiiim. My science couldn’t get throoooough… h-he had… he had told me that my ideas were briiiiilliant! If I weren’t for him, I ne… I never would have…”

I kiss his shoulder and gently run my fingers over his stomach to calm him down.

Nemo takes a deep breath. “When he disappeared, I thought… I thought I was doooooooone for, but—but then Finiiiiiis--! I… I had hope again but… it was… it was like senseeeei… seeeeeenseeeeiiii didn’t even recognize meeee… i-it was like he had completely forgotteeeeeeeeeen…”

I have a feeling that Isaac’s relationship with Nemo might have been very similar to Aleister’s. Terrible men who discard people the moment they get what they want.

Nemo’s still looking up as though he’s talking about a savior.

“But… but Aleister told me! Aleister toooold me that s-sometimes… sometimes you have to surpass the people you love! If the child is mooooore successful, then that means that the parent did a good job, riiiiiiight? Aleister reminded me of thaaaaaaat! He reminded me of that—and—and showed me that I didn’t have to walk on the path that would destroy the homes of my beeeeeest friiiiiiiiends…!”

I remember Hatteras’ words: ‘Aleister gave me an option outside of the path I had been set upon. I’ll always be grateful to him for that.’

Nemo reaches up and clenches his fist as though he’s grabbed ahold of his own destiny.

“I would bring down the Naaaaaaaaauuuutilus myself! Me, Neeeeeeeeeemoooooo! In the name of friendship, I would go even beyooooooooond Isaac-senseeeeeeeeeei…!!”

Nemo’s eyes widen in surprise when I reach up and wrap my hand around his fist.

“You helped save London,” I say. “Aleister might have influenced you, but he didn’t force you to. Everybody knows you helped, that’s why you had such a light sentence, remember…?”

Nemo looks conflicted and frowns. He looks like he wants to say something, but bites his lip before saying, “T-Thank you, but… I really… reeeeeeally need to … I mean… people saaaaaaay things… because they want me to do certain thiiiiiiiings … that’s what Aleister diiiiiiid and then he… he betrayed me and told Victoria… he… even Cardia-chaaaaaaan…”

He lowers his fist, kissing my hand before resting his own on his forehead. “Did she tell you…? S-She called me… her broooother…. Ohhhh… I’m not letting her forget that ooooone…”

“I don’t think you can really compare Cardia and Aleister,” I say.

“Can’t I?” Nemo’s voice goes dark. “It’s aaaaaall manipulation.”

“Not all manipulation is bad, though,” I say. “I think she was trying to make you feel better.”

Nemo sighs. “… She did ask me somethiiiiing…”

“What?”

Nemo sniffs again, though most of his tears have dried.

“She asked me to think aboooout… what I want to do nooow…”

“What you want to do?” I lift my head to get a better look at him.

“If I had access to the best laboratories, all the funding I needed… for aaaaaaaanything… what would I do?”

“What did you tell her?” I ask.

“I slammed the doooooooooor in her faaaaaaaaaaaace…”

I go quiet for a little bit, hugging his arm.

“You should talk to her, you know,” I say. “Barbicane has assembled a meeting tomorrow morning. You should be there, too.”

Nemo nods. “He told me.”

The silence continues to hang in the air, and I would have thought Nemo was asleep save the fact that there is no snoring.

“I waaaaant… to rebuild the gravity alleviator…” Nemo’s so quiet I can barely hear him. “If I had all the mooooney… the laboratory… everything… I would get my best friend to the mooooooon.”

I smile. “Then let’s get out of here, Nemo.”

“Hrmmm?” he rolls over like he’s ready to get out of bed.

“No, I mean… with everyone. Let’s go back to Steel London and get Barbicane to the moon.”

Nemo looks at me with arched eyebrows, a blush rising to his cheeks. “W-Whaaaaaaaat…? My profeeeessor, he won’t be going to the moon in a submariiiiiiiiine!”

I roll onto my stomach and rest my chin on my hands. “I know. And I do want to go on a proper expedition someday, but…”

Nemo rolls onto his side so he’s facing me.

“This will be a new way to expand my horizons, and…” I’m blushing now too.

Despite everything we’ve done together already, I’m blushing!

“I want to be with you for as long as I can. ...Remember?”

Nemo lowers his eyes so I can barely see them through his long eyelashes. Then he gives a low giggle, his lips stretching into that familiar smile. “Do you meeeeeean… ‘always’?”

My jaw goes slack as I look at him.

“Always?” I repeat.

Nemo climbs over me, rolling me onto my back so his long hair separates me from the rest of the world like a veil.

“Always. I think I could give ‘always’ a try… sloooowly… with yoooou…”

“I’d like that very much,” my voice is quiet as Nemo lowers himself to kiss me. It’s tired and chaste, but bursting with love. Then he lays down completely, nuzzling his face into my shoulder.

His familiar deep snore reverberates in my ears, and I finally close my eyes wrapped in that comfort.


	52. A Strange Sort of Family

“Santa…?”

Cardia stares up at Impey, her eyes wide.

“You’re not just teasing me, are you?”

“Cardia-chan, you gotta believe me! He had the suit and everything! I mean, it looked a little more dramatic than in the picture books, but it was red and fur-lined just the same. Wow, who would have thought that our ‘San-chan’ and ‘Santa’ would be a team!”

Cardia closes her eyes, and eventually her lips curve into a smile. “I can see it. Saint… is a warm person. I think he and Santa Claus would make a good team.”

Impey laughs, “Think he let our San-chan ride in his sleigh? Hey, maybe I can convince him to let us use it for a yuletide date, huh?”

“Impey, promise me you won’t bother Santa Claus.”

“What, you don’t want to go on a romantic, magical sleigh ride with your boyfriend?” Impey puts on his most charming smile and gives Cardia a lady-killing wink.

“It doesn’t have to be magical, or a sleigh ride,” Cardia replies. “If I’m with Impey, I know I’ll have fun no matter what we do.”

Impey can practically see the sunlight radiating from Cardia’s smile, and he clutches his chest as though he has been wounded.

“Cardia-chan… ah, I have the cutest girlfriend in the world!”

Cardia gasps as Impey scoops her up in his arms and spins her around, kissing her on the cheek.

“I love you, my honey–!”

“I have a pretty cute boyfriend, myself,” says Cardia. She decides to take advantage of their sudden closeness in height by giving him a kiss of her own, enjoying the heat that suddenly radiates from Impey’s skin.

“W-Woah, you’re not playing fair, princess!” Impey says with a laugh. “Well, two can play at that game!”

“Hmmmmmmmmmmmm… perhaps… now might not be the beeeeeeeeeeeeeeest tiiiiiiiiime…?”

“No, Nemo,” says Impey. “It really, really isn’t.”

Nevertheless, Nemo walks in anyway.

“Caaaaaaaaaaaaardia-chan… might I have a mooooooooment of your time?”

Impey and Cardia stare at him, Cardia still being carried like a new bride. Eventually, Impey sighs and sets Cardia down.

“I’m going to go ahead to the hangar,” says Impey. “You two don’t be too long, or you’ll miss the meeting.”

As he passes, Impey claps Nemo on the shoulder and leans down, a dark aura suddenly sprouting from his visage. “You owe me, man… you really, really owe me.”

“Right, riiiiiiiight… I’m sure you two will have pleeeeeenty of opportunities to pick up where you left off,” Nemo waves Impey dismissively, a mischievous grin on his face. “Besides, you couldn’t have gone tooooo far. Such things be limited to the bedrooooooom, don’t you thiiiiiink?”

“LAST I CHECKED A SUBMARINE IS NOT A BEDROOM, NEMO. I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES. STILL.”

“Impey…”

Cardia’s calm voice calms Impey down, and he gives her a tired smile before walking out of the room.

Nemo looks at Cardia, and Cardia looks back at him. As Cardia looks at him, he begins to droop ever-so-slowly. And as he droops ever-so-slowly, Nemo looks more and more pitiful.

But Cardia doesn’t budge.

Finally, Nemo takes a deep breath and stammers: “I— I….. I’m…. I’M SO SOOOOOOOOORRY… MYYYYYYYYY SISTEEEEEEEEEEER!!!”

“Wait, wait, you don’t have to—“

Before Cardia can bolster her defenses, Nemo throws his arms around her shoulders and hugs her with a strength that doesn’t match his scrawny appearance.

“YOU JUST WANTED TO HEEEEEEEEEELP! ME, NEEEEEEEEEEEEMOOOOO!! YOU WANTED TO HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!! AND I—I—“

Nemo bursts into tears, and Cardia realizes she needs to get him off her as quickly as possible before he soaks her shirt. So, with a gentle smile she reaches up and gives him a few pats on the back. 

But she doesn’t push him away. As Nemo’s standing there, sobbing into her with all of the incredible force of his emotions, Cardia realizes something that she would never care to admit out loud.

Calling Nemo ‘brother’… really hadn’t been that bad.

Finis is her only, precious little brother, but… maybe a pitiful older brother wouldn’t be out of the question.

She certainly has no desire to run after him with sparkles in her eyes tearfully calling out, ‘Brother dearest!’ like Nemo clearly has fantasies of, but…

“H-Hey… don’t cry, big brother,” Cardia continues to pat him awkwardly on the back. “You, um, weren’t feeling well…”

Nemo takes a hesitant step back, looking at Cardia with drooping lips and wide eyes masked by his goggles.

“A-Are you juuuuuuuuuuuust… manipulating meeeeeee…?” Nemo looks away. “B-But… you’d have no reason to now…”

Cardia shakes her head with an awkward smile. “It’s weird to say it out loud, but I feel like by this point you are sort of a goofy big brother to me. Kind of.”

Nemo’s smiling. Well, sort of. It’s rather grotesque, since his open smile takes up most of his face, but he looks so happy that Cardia manages to swallow her grimace.

“Hee hee…”

Cardia only has a moment to brace herself before Nemo’s giggling erupts into wall-shaking cackling.

“Yeeeeeeeeeeeeees, that’s riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight! From the Nautilus oooooooooooonwards---! I’ve always looked out for myyyyyyyyy siiiiiiiiiiiister!”

“That’s a stretch,” says Cardia, but she’s interrupted as Nemo pats her head with something resembling affection.

“Caaaaaaaaaardia-chan,” he starts. “I waaaant to be the kind of family who… who is aaaaaalways there for you. So, from nooooow on--!!”

Nemo flashes a shining grin and points his free thumb at himself. “You can come to your big brother for aaaaaaaaaaaaaanything, okay?! By the graaaaaaaaaaace of science and the pooooooower of love, I can do aaaaaaaaaaanything for your smile!”

Cardia blinks a few times, but then she begins to laugh.

“W-What is it?” Nemo pulls his hand away from her head.

“No, it’s not—” she pauses to catch her breath. “You just sounded a lot like Impey there, that’s all.”

“Well of coooooooooooourse!” Nemo puts his hands on his hips. “He iiiiiiiiiiiiis my brother-in-law, after all.”

Cardia’s face pales, her smile twitching. “Excuse me?”

“Ohhhhhh, yes!” Nemo nods sagely. “I suppoooooooooooose if myyyyyyyyy sister has to marry, it should be someone worthy, like my most foooooormidable rival!”

“Nemo, don’t make me regret this.”

But Nemo just smiles and takes Cardia by the arm. “Come oooooon, then! We caaaaaaaaan’t keep him waiting!” 

"Nemo? Nemo!!" Cardia sighs as she lets herself be dragged off. She did this to herself, after all.

.... But it really isn't that bad.

......

THAT bad.


	53. Plotting

The seven of us sit around a crate like it’s a meeting table, our eyes moving from one person to the next.

“Sooooooooo…” Nemo props his elbows on the crate, crossing his wrists over the other and leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands. “Now that we’re asseeeeeeeembled like a proper team, what do you have in store for us, myyyyyy rivaaaaaaaaaal?”

“I wouldn’t call us a team,” Conseil mutters, and I give him a light kick in the shin.

“Ohhhhh?” Nemo tilts his head towards the two of them and smiles. “Are you still going to try to have your beau kiiiiiiiiiiiill meeeeeeeeee?”

I stare at Conseil until he finally looks over at Ned and sighs. But before he can say anything, Ned shrugs.

“Nah.”

We all stare at him.

“What do you mean ‘nah’?” asks Barbicane.

“Didn’t you say that you were going to kill him back on the train?” asks Cardia.

“Well, yeah,” says Ned. “I mean, I dunno… I have my sweetheart back…” Ned scrunches his face in confusion.

“Don’t think too hard, you’ll bust a bloooooood veeeeeeessel…….” Nemo’s smile is pained, like watching Ned grabble with his own brain is something he finds unpalatable.

Finally, Ned shrugs again. “Nah. Just… nah.”

“… Right,” Barbicane clears his throat. “Anyhow, I have a plan for getting us out of here. The airships in the hangar right now are in no condition to travel in this wind. Heck, after examining the damage to the ship we came in on I can say we’re lucky we made it here in one piece!”

My eyes widen and I look over at Nemo. “Nemo, is that true?”

Nemo closes his eyes and scratches his cheek idly. “E-Eeehhhhh… you didn’t notice it when we were in the air, riiiiight?”

He gives me his sweetest smile, and I feel my legs go numb.

“When I get out of here, I am never getting back on an airship again…” I mutter as I rub my temples.

“Don’t saaaaaaaaaaay that!!” Nemo takes my hand and rubs his cheek against it. “I have so many thiiiiiiiiiings plaaaaaaaaaaaaanned! I’ll have you soaring at my side in nooooooo tiiiiiiime!”

“Nemo…” I return his smile, ignoring Conseil practically vibrating with rage next to me.

“Can the four of you maybe discuss all this another time?” Barbicane says with a sigh. “We’re going to have a lot of work to do.”

Nemo turns back to Barbicane, though he’s still holding my hand and shows no interest in letting go. Feeling the same way, I thread our fingers together and rub my thumb over his.

“Okay, we’ve got some intel that the winds are going to be dying down a week from today,” says Barbicane. “We’re going to use that time to get one of these babies ready to fly us out of here! Cy-chan, Cardia-chan, I’m going to need you two to help me with that. Ned-chan, Connie-chan, you two are going to—“

“C-Connie-chan…?!”

“—You two are going to pilfer supplies for our trip. I’m going to need you to be sneaky. … I think Connie-chan is probably better-suited for the sneaky bits, Ned-chan can distract them–.”

“Connie-chan…?!”

Ignoring Conseil’s flustered sputtering, Nemo shoots his free hand into the air.

“I haven’t forgotten you, Nemo, don’t worry,” Barbicane takes another breath to continue.

“Hooooooow come I’m the only one without an honorific?”

“Wait, what?” Barbicane blinks a few times.

“Polly-chan, Cardia-chan, Cy-chan, even Connie-chan—“

“C-Connie-chan….” Conseil sounds despondent.

“Allllllll of these cute names, and whiiiiiiiiiiile I appreciate you desiring to keep the sanctity of my name, Neeeeeeeeeeemoooooooooooooo, I still want to know WHYYYYYYYYYYY?!”

The room goes quiet.

“C-Can we discuss that at another time, too?” asks Barbicane.

Nemo moves to cross his arms, but then he remembers that he’s still holding my hand so he decides to grumpily rest his cheek on his free hand instead.

“Anyway, you’ll be happy about this,” Barbicane suddenly smiles. “You’re going to blow up the place!”

Ned is the only thing stopping Conseil from slumping right out of his chair.

“Hee hee hee…” Nemo adjusts his goggles. “My myyyyyyyyyy… so you’re choooooooosing to let my expertiiiiiiiiise grace the more destructive side of your little plot, Impeeeeeey Barbicaaaaaaaane!”

“Ha, even better! The person who requested your expertise was none other than Santa Claus himself!”

There is no sound. Not even the sound of breathing. All of us are staring at Barbicane and his confident grin as though we are in a trance.

Finally, there’s a voice I haven’t heard in a long time. Quiet, cool, and so deep it reverberates in my chest.

And what that mysterious voice says is this:

“What.”

“What?” Barbicane puts his hands on his hips with a confident smile. “Santa Claus wants this place cleared because it’s an eyesore! I mean, you gotta agree with the guy, right?”

Nemo continues to stare at Barbicane for a long time, long after the rest of us mentally wrote it off as Barbicane being Barbicane.

Finally, when I reach out to Nemo, it’s like he’s jolted by a bolt of electricity. His face splits into a smile and he doubles over, pounding his fist on the crate as he laughs hysterically.

“IMPEEEEEEEEEEY–!! You scaaaaaaaaared the hell out of me there, being so unscientiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiific! A—hahahahaha, I should have realized it was juuuuuuuuuuuust your sense of huuuuuuuumor! Saaaaaaaaanta Claus?! What a—what a laaaaaaaaaaaaugh!! B-Because it’s the Nooooooorth Pole?!”

He leans back, unable to control his laughter.

“Oh, Impey IIIIImpey Impeeeeeeeeeeeeey!!”

And then he falls backwards onto the floor, somehow still holding onto my hand.

“B-But it wasn’t a…”

“Better just leave it, Professor,” says Smith. “It’s probably better this way.”

“Yeah, I guess…” Barbicane frowns.

“Still, do you reeeeeeeally think I will enjoy blowing up such scientific progressiiiiiiiion?”

“What? Scientific progression? Come on, Nemo, you and I both know that the only research up here worth looking into is the acoustics!”

“They have a narwhal,” I suddenly blurt out. 

Barbicane looks at me with all of the exhaustion of a man who visited Nemo in jail every day without fail.

“But, I mean, we have a week, right?” I continue. “Maybe while you all are working I can try to gather as much of their research as I can.”

“Stealing research, huh, Professor?” Smith grins.

“I didn’t mean–!” my cheeks burn red. “I would never STEAL research, I just—if Nemo was worried about it going to waste…”

“Don’t teeeeeeeeease her, that’s myyyyyy job!” Nemo lets out a giggle.

“I didn’t—I wouldn’t—“ I shake my head again.

“You’re stuck in a room full of assholes,” Ned says with a grin. “Just laugh and move on.”

“I didn’t find it funny, either,” Conseil says with a sniff.

“I actually had another job in mind for you,” says Barbicane, coming to my rescue.

I straighten up, looking at Barbicane intently. In all honesty, I hadn’t been expecting him to have a specific assignment for me. I’m not an engineer, nor a genius.

“Aleister won’t be giving us any trouble,” says Barbicane.

“Cuuuuuuuurious…” Nemo’s musings interrupts the engineer. “What gives you thaaaaaaaaaat idea?”

Barbicane nods. “Aleister isn’t really on Hatteras’ side. He’s doing this because… um…” Barbicane rubs the back of his head.

“Because he finds it interesting,” Nemo finishes for him, his voice at almost a normal speaking level for once. “Is that it?”

“Well, yeah, actually,” says Barbicane. “You knew?”

“It makes sense for Aleister,” says Cardia. “When I spoke with him back on the Nautilus, he tried to make it sound like he was just doing his job, but…”

“Aleister does ooooooonly what he wants,” Nemo continues. “He follows his interests. He tooooooold me that he found Isaac-sensei’s work fascinating, and waaaaaaanted to see the world that he would creaaaaate. But there’s noooooo way he would find someone like Hatteras at the same level as senseeeeei…”

Nemo sighs.

“He’s doing this because it amuuuuuuuses him. That’s aaaaaaaaall…”

I squeeze Nemo’s hand reassuringly. He doesn’t need to go further. We all know what he’s really saying. Aleister delights in the suffering of others.

“Sick puppy,” Ned spats.

Conseil crosses his arms, examining Nemo’s expression. I wish he would stop.

“So what I need for you to do, Polly-chan, is to distract our one major obstacle,” Barbicane continues.

“Our biggest obstacle being…” I already know the answer, but I don’t want to say it.

“That would be Hattie-chan,” Barbicane nods gravely.

“Even Hatteras gets an honorifiiiiiic…” Nemo whines.

I look down at the crate, trying to avoid everyone’s stares.

“I know it won’t be easy for you, Polly-chan, but…” Barbicane shakes his head. “You’re really the only one he’s interested in. I tried talking with him earlier, and it was like talking to a wall. Like he wasn’t even there.”

“I’m not sure how much better I’d fare,” I say.

“You’ve just gotta distract him,” says Barbicane. “I’m sure you can come up with something!”

I finally look back up at the group and give a nod, though I really don’t feel confident. Not in the least.


	54. We All Have Our Quirks (EXPLICIT)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit sexual contact between Nemo and Aronnax. Please do not read ahead if such content bothers you.

“We’ll have to come up with evacuation plans for the workers here,” Barbicane muses as he walks out of the hangar. “Cy-chan, can I put you in charge of that? We’ll have to prep enough of the fleet that everyone can get out of here safely.”

“Think we can do it in a week?” asks Smith.

“The ships look like they’re in better shape than the airships,” Barbicane continues. “It’ll be easier to get them ready. We’ll send a proper rescue up here once we get back to Steel London. Nobody’s going to die here. Not while Impey Barbicane is on the job!”

“You really do belong on the nice list, Impey,” says Cardia.

I watch the three of them walk off, Barbicane’s face so red that it matches his hair.

However, when I begin to walk down the hall, I almost trip over a leather boot.

“Ohohoho! Where do you think yoooooooou’re running off to so fast?!”

I look up to the owner of the leather boot, who’s leaning against the wall with a wide grin.

“I’m going to find Hatteras,” I reply. “Shouldn’t you be working on your part, too?”

I step over Nemo’s boot and continue walking, only to almost trip over its mate.

Nemo… is spread-eagle, balancing on his heels with his back to the wall, his smile strained. Where he looked rather attractive before, now he just looks, ah, rather desperate.

“What’s the huuuuuuuuuuuurry?”

Nemo’s smile fades as he begins to lean back, the flimsy wall beginning to buckle. With a shout I grab his arm and hoist him back up.

Instead of standing up, though, he leans on me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Nemo… we only have a week.”

I feel him shrug under my arms.

“A week for me to do my joooooob? Ha! I could get it done in haaaaaaaalf the time, even leeeeeess…”

He turns his head and looks at me with a grin. “I’m more iiiiiiiiiinterested in dedicating some tiiiiiiime to seeing what their research is all about.”

My eyes widen.

“A-haaaa! See? Your eyes are spaaaaaaarkling, Polly-chan! Come oooooon! We caaaaaan’t let all this go to waaaaaaaste!”

Before I can protest, he grabs my hand and begins to lead me down one of the halls.

“T-The research laboratory is the other way!” I manage to stutter out.

“Mrm?” Nemo straightens up before looking to where I’m pointing. Like he had meant to go that way the entire time, he swerves on his heels and pulls me to his hip so we’re walking side-by-side in the correct direction.

When we get to the laboratory, of course it’s filled with people performing their research.

“We won’t be able to look at too much without it being suspicious,” I say.

“What’s suspiiiiiicious about two scientists enjoying science?” Nemo looks at me with his bright smile. “Come ooooon!”

Not needing any prompting, Nemo begins excitedly looking over the shoulders of the researchers, peering into their microphones, flipping through their notes and generally being a nuisance. He looks so happy, though!

“Fwee hee hee… ohhhh, the Royal Society would tie themselves in knooooooots to get ahold of this!” Nemo snatches a clipboard out of a researcher’s hand and waves it to me. “The composition of the North Pole itseeeeeeeelf! This is the stuff Britain’s sent multiple exploration parties to their deaaaaaths for!”

I notice the room clearing out rather quickly, and I nod apologies to the disgruntled workers. It’s convenient, though, this way it will be easier to look around.

“OOOOOOOOOOH! Ohhhhh, you’d looooooooove this, Professoooooor!”

That particular screech was the one that sent the rest of the scientists packing, leaving us alone in the laboratory.

“Tch, cooowards…” Nemo mutters as he sets the clipboard down. “Now, let’s see what juuuuuuuuicy secrets you boys were hiding………”

He begins to type into a console, the lights reflecting in his goggles and teeth so he looks like a monster.

Eventually, though, he leans back with a sigh. “No breakthroughs, reeeeeally… other than their observations of the Pole…… not that I’m not iiiiinterested in the astrological phenomena, flora, fauna, geology, magnetism, all of those delightful thiiiiiiiiiiiings…”

Nemo pouts.

“I was reeeeeeeally hoping that Hatteras would have some diabooooolical weapon designs hiiiiding…”

I walk up behind him and put my hand on his slumped shoulder. “Isn’t that what he wanted to hire you for, Nemo?”

He suddenly straightens up, looking at me with a big smile. “That’s right, that’s riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight--!”

Nemo’s as loud as ever, humming as he begins looking at the binders of work stacked nearby.

“You don’t plan on… really stealing…?” I hiss in a whisper.

Nemo looks at me before pulling his goggles down enough that I can see his violet eyes shoot an icy glare my way.

“Despiiiiiiiiiiiite what Mister Gravity Alleviator saaaaaays…” he pushes his goggles back into place. “I’ve never stolen a scrap of research in my life. I’d neeeeever ask questions when I received certain things, liiiiike…. The Gravity Alleviator…” he coughs into his fist loudly. “But I don’t pilfer. If…” he lowers his voice, but it doesn’t do much. “If this research leaves this place… the scientists who did that work will be the ones to receive credit, accolades, profit, etcetera etcetera.”

He sniffs, looking offended.

“I don’t plaaaaaaaaaaaan on furthering my careers with lies, Aronnaaaaaaaax.”

“I should have known,” I say, putting a hand to my chest. I tiptoe to him and peer up at him from below. “I’m sorry.”

“Mmmmph,” he shrugs. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep traaaaaack of my morals, I don’t blame yoooooooou.”

He leans down and rubs the tip of his nose against mine, smiling.

“Besiiiiiiides… it’s fun to make cute girls nervous!”

With a giggle he grabs me and kisses me deeply, only stopping when I pull away with a gasp.

“Nemo!” I exclaim. “Don’t you think it’s a little too cold to be playing around like this?”

“Playing arooooound…?” he arcs an eyebrow. “You really do think I’m up to no gooood, huh?”

He moves aside and pushes me down on the table, his grin wide.

“Maybe I should prove you right…. how cold aaaaare you, my deeeeear?”

I see his eyes widen in delight behind his goggles as he unbuttons my coat and grabs a handful of one of my breasts.

“Nemo!” I can do little more than gawk.

“Fwee hee heeeeee….” he clucks his tongue. “Looks like you ARE cold, or maybe you just enjoy it when I’m baaaaad?”

He rubs his thumb over one of my nipples, and I arch my back when he bends down and kisses it through the fabric.

“Wait, Nemo!” I sit up, only a little surprised when he steps back to allow me to get up. “It really is too cold in here… come on…”

I push my coat together and take his hand, my cheeks burning from embarrassment as I take him to the back room.

I sheepishly stare at the floor as Nemo shuts the door behind us, leaving us alone with the narwhal skeleton.

“Always with your mind on sciiiiience, thaaaaaaaat’s my girl…” Nemo puts a hand on my shoulder.

I lean into him, a smile teasing the edges of my lips. “It’s warmer in here, too.”

“Warm enough to play around…?”

I give a nod before letting my winter coat slide off my shoulders and pool on the floor.

I can’t hold back my laughter as Nemo loops his hands around my waist and buries his head in my neck, tickling me with his chin and assaulting my skin with kisses. I lean my head back, smiling as he begins to undo my blouse.

But then I see something in the corner of my room.

Nemo whines when I turn around, but his expression grows serious when he sees me gesture to one of Hatteras’ listening devices.

“We have… twoooo options, darling…” he tilts his head. “If he’s liiiiiiiiistening, then he’s already heaaaard enough to know what we plan on doing…”

He pushes my body tight against him, and I blush when I feel his penis shift under the fabric.

“Either we give him a show he never forgeeeeeeeets…” his smile splits wickedly across his face. “Or I get to show off a bit! Aaaah, if I do that, thooooough…”

He steps back and shrugs.

“There’s no waaaaaaay he wouldn’t send his men to investigate. We would have to work quickly, my darliiiiing…”

He takes one of my hands and puts it to his crotch, and with half-lidded eyes I wrap my fingers around his swelling shaft.

“You know I don’t last long when you do theeeeeese things to meeeeee… it might be fun to go against the clock…” he looks from my hand to my eyes. “It’s up to you, Pauline.”

“Shoving clothes aside and desperately seeking out each other’s heat…” I bite my lip and stop myself from continuing when I remember the listening device. “Show off for me, Nemo.”

Nemo kisses my hand and laughs, “Myyyyyyy laaaaady!” before reaching into his coat and pulling out a pistol. With a bow and a flourish, Nemo fires at the listening device. Then he turns and does the same thing to another one that I hadn’t seen. Three, four, and a final one near the door.

He drops his gun to the floor and soon his winter coat follows it. Sparks haven’t even stopped falling from the devices before Nemo’s turning me around and pushing me against the wall with my buttocks arched up in the air. With a groan he lifts up the back of my skirt and begins to pet my panties with his thumb, pushing it in and rubbing it in circles.

“Are you reeeeeady~?” he giggles. “This might feel a little different, but…”

He pushes my panties aside and rubs the tip of his penis against my entrance, sighing contentedly when he feels that it’s already lubricated. I can tell he’s only half-hard at this point, but that doesn’t stop him from pushing inside.

“It’ll feel amaaaazing… to grow inside of yoouuu..!”

He bends his knees so he’s closer to my height, beginning to slowly thrust into me. Sure enough, the feeling of him swelling inside my vaginal walls makes me groan in delight.

“Good, huh~? Do you like how your body makes me get nice and thiiiiiick? Wicked little thiiiiing!” he bends over me, brushing a strand of hair away from my ear as he hisses against it. “What if those researchers come baaaaaaaack? What a sight they would see--!”

“F-Fuck me harder!” is the only thing I can manage to cry out.

“You’re getting better at telling me what—” he thrusts hard “—you—” again “—waaaaaant--!”

By this point he’s completely stiff, and I bite my lip as I begin to grind myself against him. He stops thrusting to watch me rock his penis in and out, rolling my hips so he’s rubbing me at different angles.

“You’re amaaaazing…” he moans, bending over and hugging me from behind, one arm wrapped around my stomach and another kneading one of my breasts. “I love you… I love you so much…!”

He buries his head in my shoulder, panting and grunting as he continues to thrust.

“I really… reeeeally… missed this… missed yoooou…!”

But there’s something else, too, a wetness on my shoulder as his thrusts become more erratic.

“P-Pull out for a second, baby…” I shudder when I hear how lusty my voice has become, but there’s something more important I need to check on.

Nemo sniffs as he pulls out and steps back, confirming my suspicions.

I turn around and lean my back against the wall before pulling him back towards me, holding his face in my hands and gently kissing his wet cheeks, darting out my tongue to lick away the tears streaking his skin.

“Good boy…” I whisper. “That’s a good boy, Nemo… I love you too.”

Nemo’s penis visibly throbs when I tell him that he’s a good boy. How cute…

I arch my hips up for him, pulling my panties aside so he can see just how aroused he’s made me. My labia’s so swollen with lust, the overhead lights making it shine with its lubrication. For a moment, it looks like poor Nemo’s forgotten how to breathe.

I make sure I’m looking directly at his goggles as I lift one of my legs and wrap it around his hip, pushing him back against me. Shaking, he grips my thigh with such force that I shudder before he enters me again.

Still trembling and sniffling, he wraps his other arm around my back and pulls me so close to him that it’s more like we’re grinding against each other than thrusting.

“I missed you too, Nemo,” I murmur into his shoulder, blinking away tears of my own. “It feels like I had to sp-spend such a long time without you!”

I begin kissing him, gently, tasting his lipstick and sucking on his skin as we get back into the rhythm we had before.

My mind’s getting cloudy as I begin to nip at him, which finally makes him smile again as he buries his head in my neck, biting down as he resumes his deep thrusting.

“I love it when you bite me like that…!” I cry. “Hold me in place like an animal in heat!!”

I rake my hands through his hair as our pace picks up again, murmuring over and over again what a good boy he is and how good he’s making me feel. I’m not even sure he can understand me, my words have slurred so much and his moans are increasing in volume.

“Deeper… deeper… deeperdeeperdeeper…!” I bite my lip and curl my toes as he finally lifts me off the ground, positioning his hips so he can thrust in as deep as I want him to.

“I—I can’t hold baaaaaaaaack…!” Nemo’s moan is so loud that the wall around us reverberates from its lustful force.

“Inside---!” my cry is strangled. “I want it—”

I bite my lip, trembling and clinging to him desperately as my body begins to rock with a powerful orgasm. He’s shaking, too, clenching his teeth as his semen fills my insides, spurt after thick spurt. It’s so warm, and the feeling reminds me of how much I had missed him. I lean my head against his shoulder, reminding myself that he’s here. He’s here and he’s inside and I refuse to let him go!

My body finally begins to relax and I roll my head back, listening to our breathing slow to a normal tempo. I kiss his head, his ear, his forehead, whatever I can until he lifts his face so I can reach his lips. Only then do my kisses slow, until our lips are gently roaming over each other’s as our bodies calm down.

“D-Did yoooou…?” he tilts his head worriedly, and I nod, answering him with another kiss. He smiles proudly, puffing out his chest before gently lowering my leg back to the floor. When he pulls out, he quickly pushes my panties back in place—and I swear I can see a wink behind the goggles.

“Don’t want to spill a drooooop~” he grins before quickly giving me an innocent shrug. “It’d be inconveeeeenient to have to clean our mess up.”

“Mm-hmm,” I wrap an arm around his shoulders and give him another kiss. “I’m sure that’s all it is, huh?”

I reach down with my free hand and gently give his penis a slow squeeze, making him tremble again. A droplet of semen oozes down his tip and I wipe it off, bringing my messy fingers to my lips with a smile.

“You’re one to taaaaaaalk,” he says as he gestures to me. “May I put it away or did you want to plaaaaaaay with it some more? Gooooodness… making looooove in public places… reeeeeally gets you going, doesn’t it?”

I look away, scoffing. “I’m not some kind of exhibitionist, you know!”

Nemo smiles, bending down to my height and seeking out my eyes. “Uh-huuuuuh? Soooorry, my deeear, but the scientific evidence prooooves otherwise!”

He cups my cheek in his hand and turns me towards him so I can see the look of delight on his face. “You were saying the most woooonderful things… moving your hips so exquiiiisitely! It was a real… reeeeeal turn-on…”

“And what about you?” I mimic him, cupping his cheek in my hand. “You definitely swelled a bit when I told you what a good boy you are.”

I glance down and smile when I see his penis give a tired twitch. I reach down and tuck it back into his pants, buttoning them up as I give him a quick kiss.

“I guess we all have our quirks,” I say with a resigned sigh.

“I beliiiiiiiiiieve they’re called kinks, my loooove.”

He leans his forehead against mine and giggles, and I soon join him, only stopping in order to kiss him.

“I love you,” I say. “Even if you are an ass.”

“Eveeeeen?” he arcs an eyebrow.

I give a wry smile before tweaking his nose. “Fine… I love you -because- you’re an ass, Nemo.”

He looks so damn proud as he puts a hand on his hip triumphantly, using his other one to pull me to him so he can give me more and more of his kisses.


	55. Why?

After getting changed, I begin asking around to find out where I might find Hatteras. Most of the men don’t even look at me, let alone respond. Their vow of silence is more important than helping out prisoners, I guess.

Finally, when I stop another worker in the hallway, I hear the static of one of the speakers on the wall.

“Professor Aronnax,” Hatteras’ quiet voice cuts through. “You will find me in my study.”

I nod, then realize that he can’t hear a nod—though, who knows, he’s so strange about sound that he actually might be able to! “And where might I find your study, Captain?”

“Aleister will lead you here,” replies Hatteras.

“Aleister,” I repeat.

“Aronnax-kun.”

I quickly turn around, the jolt of fear running through my chest destroying any chance of looking neutral at Aleister’s appearance.

He looks so grandfatherly standing there, the edges of his mustache tilted in a friendly smile. His eyes are dead coals, though, like they’ve never sparked with life and light.

I have to be very careful.

“Though it’s good to be careful, if you’re too obvious about it you leave yourself wide open,” says Aleister.

I grit my teeth but force myself to give a pleasant smile. “I’m afraid I’m not very experienced at being in situations like these.”

Aleister closes his eyes, then looks at me with an expression that looks almost tired.

“Sometimes it’s amusing to be around someone green, but it can get boring quickly, I’m afraid,” he says.

I know I shouldn’t say it.

“What, don’t want to add me to your ‘broken’ collection? Oh, but you prefer men for that, don’t you…”

But I say it anyway.

The edges of Aleister’s eyes crinkle and a warm laugh reverberates through the halls. I hate how at-ease it makes me feel.

“I’m afraid I’m a man of many hobbies with many different uses for people, Aronnax-kun,” he says. “But you don’t want to keep the good captain waiting, do you?”

Aleister gestures for me to walk, and he keeps a polite pace beside me, the only sound the ‘click’ of his serpentine cane on the floor.

“Either way, I am relieved that things are once more going smoothly between you and Nemo-kun. He was a very lonely man, and the thought of him slipping back is something I did not wish to entertain.”

How could he say that? How could he, someone who used Nemo’s loneliness for his own entertainment, say that?

But it’s not my place. Nemo doesn’t want me to fight these battles for him, so I swallow every drop of venom I want to spit at Aleister’s grandfatherly smile.

“Thank you,” is all I say.

Aleister glances at me out of the corner of his eye before focusing on the hallway in front of him.

This hallway is too long. Every moment I spend alone with Aleister makes me more and more certain that a primordial force of chaos has garbed itself as a British gentleman. His energy is colder than anything I’ve ever felt, and adding the stifling silence of this place to his presence makes me feel like my mind is decaying with each footstep.

Aleister stops a few paces behind a door branching off at a peculiar angle and gives me a polite nod.

“Until next time,” he says.

He doesn’t leave, though, he just stands there watching me. Swallowing my unease, I move past him and put my hand on the door.

I feel like he’ll strike me the moment I take my eyes off of him, but I force myself to do so as I open the door and walk inside.

Nothing happened, and I know he’s still standing there as I pull the door shut.

That bastard.

“Professor Aronnax.”

I look over at the man sitting in an oversized chair. He’s holding the edges of a book in his fingertips, loosely, like the smallest vibration would make it clatter to the ground. It’s a strange sight, but he seems comfortable enough.

“Captain Hatteras.”

He closes the book, the soft ‘puff’ of pages meeting pages the only sound in the room.

“Please, have a seat,” he gestures to a seat just as large as his, and sitting down on it makes my muscles immediately relax.

“Like sitting on snowdrifts, isn’t it?” says Hatteras. It sounds like he’s smiling, but his lips are as neutral as ever.

“Are you interested in what I was reading?” Hatteras gestures to the book in his lap.

“Not particularly,” I answer honestly.

“I see, that’s a shame,” says Hatteras. “I’m quite fond of studying Great Britain’s history.” He holds up the volume. In the dim light I can barely see the title, but I can make out the word ‘Colonies’.

“The early 1840s were a very volatile time for her,” he continues. “You aren’t the least bit curious?”

“I know what you’re talking about,” I say. “And I’m not interested in the slightest.”

“That time I didn’t ask about interest,” Hatteras replies. “I asked about curiosity.”

I decide to respond very slowly, matching his pace: “Any curiosity I have is overpowered by a desire to respect the privacy of those I love, Captain.”

Hatteras tilts his head, his eyes reflecting something akin to confusion.

“But this is common knowledge. It’s in textbooks. Children study it.”

“I wouldn’t trust anything in those textbooks, anyway,” I say. “Someone told me recently that the definition of a ‘good person’ is dictated by victors. I imagine historical annals are the same, Captain… they’re dictated by victors.”

“You spoke with Dakkar about our discussion?” asks Hatteras. I’m surprised that his tone is light, excited even.

“I spoke with Nemo about our discussion,” I reply. “And I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do, Captain.”

Hatteras shifts, moving closer to the edge of his seat. He looks at me for a long time, examining me.

“Why?”

He doesn’t understand.

Looking into those icy eyes, I can tell: Hatteras honestly does not understand why I’m uncomfortable.

It makes me feel a little guilty about the tone of voice I had.

“It makes me uncomfortable when you try to talk with me about someone else, and about a subject that the person doesn’t want to speak about, at that.”

“He doesn’t want to speak about it? Is that true?”

I can’t stop myself from looking surprised.

“Well, yes. That’s the impression I’ve gotten, Captain” I say. Images filter through my mind, of Nemo’s tear-streaked face and that deep voice as he spoke of his wife and the home that he lost, of the name that he buried.

“So, if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather respect Nemo’s wishes.”

“Because you are in love with him?”

I pause.

“Because it’s the decent thing to do, Captain.”

“I see.”

Hatteras’ pretty face stares down at the book for a long time before he stands up, dark hair tumbling down his back and dragging on the floor behind him as he slowly drifts towards a bookshelf.

“I feel a little disappointed,” he says. He turns to look at me. “May I tell you why, Professor?”

I really want to say no, but I think about what Barbicane asked me to do.

“Yes, you may.”

“I don’t usually feel much,” he says. “When I’m separated from the Northern Winds, I’m a very angry person. But when I’m here, when I’m in the stillness I need, I feel very little. When Aleister told me he knew Prince Dakkar, I felt… excited. I had read about him. I wanted to know why he went against the Empire. I’m very loyal to Great Britain, you see. The whole reason I came here was so I could claim this unknown place for her. It was going to be my present to her. I thought it would be wonderful to really speak to someone who led a rebellion against her, someone who could hold such different ideals from me. I gave up everything for Great Britain. I wanted to meet someone who gave up everything to oppose her.”

I can’t think of anything to say to that. It was such a simple wish, but a wish filled with conflict and misunderstanding.

It’s much different to ‘give up’ something than it is to have something ‘taken away’, and it’s very clear that Hatteras doesn’t understand this.

“But that man is nothing like I imagined,” he says. “He’s…”

He goes quiet for a long time, so long that I think he might have fallen asleep.

“… Noisy.”

Hatteras puts his book back on the shelf, as silent as ever.

“Dakkar was said to have such a commanding presence that he could draw people to him with a single word. Charismatic, serious, and cool. Not the bellowing clown I met, surely…”

He takes a deep breath.

“But he is, isn’t he? I think back to what I was like, once, and it’s true how trauma can make people change… I was once loud, brash, confident and overbearing, not paying mind to anyone…”

That I can believe.

“But now the stillness… it has to be everywhere. It has to be. Noise hurts my ears. It’s so painful, Professor.”

Once again, I don’t know what to say. All I know is that I’m tired of hearing Hatteras talk about the man that Nemo once was. I can’t begin to imagine how tired Nemo himself must be of it.

“Captain, I came here to ask you a question,” I say.

Hatteras doesn’t give an apology, or even mention the fact that he had gone on and on about a subject that I told him I was uncomfortable with.

“Yes, you did. What is it?” he asks.

“That narwhal skeleton in the laboratory,” I start, trying to get the subject back to something that makes me happy. “Is that the only specimen you have?”

Hatteras looks over at me and shakes his head.

“I’m certain that you’ve heard the legends of the narwhal’s horn and its medicinal properties. We harvested the horn from a carcass, but other than that I’m afraid the specimens are scarce.”

“So, no living?” I can’t stop myself from frowning.

“Do you want to see a living narwhal?” asks Hatteras.

“Very much so,” I nod.

“… Why?”

That damn question again. He’s just like a child!

“I prefer the specimens I study to be living,” I say.

“Yes, I’ve observed that. But why? Isn’t it easier to sketch still specimens? Ones that can’t wriggle away? Your squid diagrams, for instance. Those were taken from carcasses.”

‘Why’, again.

“You want to know why I prefer living specimens?”

Hatteras nods. “Yes, that is what I asked, isn’t it?”

“It is, and you’re not the first person to ask me that,” I say. “People offer to bring me samples all the time, one researcher even offered to capture an octopus for me to study at my leisure. But I feel like results captured like that are tainted.”

“Tainted?”

Hatteras slowly glides back to his seat and sweeps his hair back in one arm before sitting down in his chair, looking at me intently.

He’s actually interested in my reasoning. Huh. Well, that’s refreshing.

“The results you get from studying captured specimens aren’t natural. They’re stressed, put in new environments, and it just isn’t good for making the truest observations. Dead specimens are even worse, as you can’t even see how they move or breathe or… exist, really.”

“And that’s why you wanted a submarine,” Hatteras concludes.

I lean forward in my seat, facing him. “Exactly! With a submarine I could observe the animals in their natural habitats, as unobtrusive as a scientist could be. It’s like observing through a window instead of a cage.”

Hatteras looks at me for a long time.

“Professor, do you think you could pilot the Harper through the ice?”

I sit back up straight, looking at Hatteras with an expression of such surprise that I see his eyes widen a touch.

“Me? No, I’m no pilot, but… why do you ask?”

“Wouldn’t that be the easiest way for you to observe the narwhals in their natural habitat?” he asks.


	56. Candy Blue Water

“Thank you for agreeing to pilot,” I say as the two of us walk down a long corridor.

“No sweat, Polly-chan!” replies Barbicane. “Man, did you see the look on poor Nemo’s face, though? I thought he was going to burst into tears when you asked for me to do it instead of him.”

Oh, and the sting was just beginning to fade, too.

“I’d love to go back on the Harper with him again,” I say. “But if Hatteras is there, I don’t think it would be a good idea. You know how he is about…”

I gesture, trying to think of how to say it.

“Volume.”

“Yeah, that’s true, and the noise-cancelling headphones on the sub didn’t help, either,” Barbicane’s voice goes low.

“How long are you going to hold onto that?” I look over at him with narrowed eyes.

“Until I stop having nightmares, Polly-chan. Until I stop having nightmares.”

I do feel awful for leaving Nemo behind. I feel like we were just reunited and already we have to part.

… That might be a little dramatic, in truth we’re taking a very short trip into the arctic waters, a few hours at most, but Nemo’s pitiful face didn’t make it any easier.

Honestly, I think the only reason that he didn’t start crying is that I was quick to talk about why Nemo was needed at the base instead. With Hatteras distracted, it will be the perfect time to find the sweet spots for Nemo’s explosives.

He does his science, I do mine. He seemed satisfied with that. 

“Buuuuut…” I remember the feeling of his index finger on my lower lip. “As paaaaayment for having me sit out of your scientific expedition, Professooooor… I want a kiss.”

I smile and close my eyes, only to hear Nemo tut-tut at me in the most precious manner.

“Not noooow! No, no, when you get baaack… I want a kiss for every moment you’ve been away. Fwee hee hee, yes, one kiss for one minute! Sound like a faaaair traaaaaade?”

I melt a little bit when I remember how soft his lips looked as he said that.

“Polly-chan? Hey, Polly-chan!”

I look up at Barbicane with a jolt.

“Man, you were really spacing out there. Were you thinking about those whales?” he grins. “Or were you thinking about your booooooooooooooyfriend?”

I decide that the best way to answer that would be to not answer it at all.

“Narwhals are amazing,” I say with a wide smile. “You’ve heard about Queen Elizabeth’s famous so-called unicorn horn, right? It’s likely actually a narwhal tusk! Alchemy has been using them for centuries. I know it’s superstitious fluff, but what if there was something to it? What if there’s actually some property in a narwhal tusk that can detect poison or purify water? How does it affect these creatures’ daily lives? Does it influence their environment? There must be a reason! Narwhals are almost on the same level of mythology as the giant squid, and I would love to be able to observe them!”

“Geez… leviathans, unicorn horns, and Nemo mentioned Atlantis… your brand of science sure is cute, Polly-chan.”

My face heats up from embarrassment.

“H-He told you about Atlantis? I was a kid—oh, but that doesn’t matter! This science isn’t ‘cute’, it’s groundbreaking observations of the natural world!”

Barbicane just stares at me, that infectious smile on his face.

“… Squid -are- cute,” I finally relent, pushing my glasses back in place. “That I’ll give you.”

But our conversation is interrupted when I see the other two members of the crew waiting ahead. Hatteras is there, of course, wearing muffs over his ears and a long coat. I look down at my padded coat, bulky pants, and layers of scarves wrapped around my face and wonder how he even survives, let alone lives comfortably.

Standing next to him is Aleister, making his arctic gear look practically regal compared to me waddling down the hall.

I nod to the both of them, then look at Hatteras. “Captain, will Aleister be going with us?”

Hatteras leans towards me to understand my words, likely because of the muffs over his ears. They’re thicker than ones used for warmth, resembling Dr. Frankenstein’s stethoscope. However, while Frankenstein’s tools target and magnify sounds, Hatteras’ likely blocks most sound out. It seems like he has a little trouble processing speech with them on, but it’s likely better than the alternative of all the noise.

It’s remarkable that he can still hear us at all. He must be very sensitive.

He finally nods. “Please put yourself in my position, Professor Aronnax. There were three possible individuals you could have brought as a pilot: a fairy with superhuman strength, a prodigal war strategist with a penchant for guns and explosives, and a mechanic who could most likely lift an automobile with one hand. Illness has made a weak man of me, and it would be easy for any of your three companions to subdue me in order to secure your freedom.”

“A fairy, a prodigy, and… a mechanic? Tch, man, way to make me sound uncool…”

“Jimmy could easily stop any of you,” Hatteras continues. “So I brought him for my safety.”

“Don’t look so disappointed, Aronnax-kun,” says Aleister. “It’s rather impolite.”

I shake my head.

“I’m not disappointed,” I say. “I’m wary.”

The edges of Aleister’s mustache curl in a smile.

“We’ll be riding in an automobile to where the Harper is tethered,” Hatteras speaks quietly. “Once there, we’ll be able to submerge for a few hours. There have been narwhals observed recently, so…”

Hatteras trails off and looks over my way. “I hope, Professor, that you will be able to see them. You looked…”

He trails off again, pausing as if to gather his thoughts into a coherent sentence.

“You looked very happy when you asked me about them.”

Barbicane takes a step back when Hatteras moves past us and glides towards a heavily-armored automobile.

“Told you he likes you!” Barbicane claps me on the back. “You must be a Weirdo Magnet or something!”

I sigh and give him a sideways glance. “Perhaps that’s why we get along so well, Barbicane.”

“Hey!” 

\---

The automobile ride is a mostly quiet one despite Barbicane trying to create conversation with everyone.

“Hey!” he pipes up. “Aleister! I bet you have a ton of stories about Van! Care to dish some out?”

Aleister arches his eyebrows in a look that almost resembles pity.

“I don’t think now would be the best time,” he says quietly.

I look over at Hatteras, who has his hands over his ears and is trembling from the might of the automobile’s rumble.

He looks so lost, like he wants to shrink back into his seat and disappear from the sights and sounds of the world.

It reminds me of how I feel when my anxiety overpowers me. Before I discovered aromatherapy, I would hide in my grandfather’s closet, covering my head as though I were afraid someone would strike me. I had no basis for this fear, but I remember feeling very small. Like not even my pretend submarine could protect me. I would completely wrap myself in blankets like I was trying to retreat into a shell.

Well, I don’t have a blanket, but I slowly begin to unravel one of my scarves.

“Captain,” I say.

Hatteras doesn’t open his eyes, but he inclines his head to let me know he heard me.

“I’m going to put something on you,” I say. “It might help you block out more noise.”

Hatteras’ eyelashes tremble as he finally turns his iced gaze to look at me.

I hold out the scarf towards him before unfolding it and wrapping it around his head as though it were a hood. It looks silly, but it’s all I can think of to do.

Hatteras lifts a hand to it, and for a moment I think he’ll pull it off. But he runs his fingers over it to smooth it down and closes his eyes.

“Another barrier from the noise of the world,” he says. “Thank you, Professor.”

“You’re welcome,” I say. “I’m… a very anxious person…”

Well, that’s putting it mildly.

“I feel like, when it gets very bad, being able to wrap myself up helps me a lot. Ah…”

Hatteras has closed his eyes again, shutting himself off to further communication.

I give a slight smile and shake my head.

\---

It feels wonderful to be on the Harper again. I look around, certain that if I open the door I’ll see Cardia trying to sketch silverware or Barbicane cooking us his famous rice flummery.

And beyond that…

I throw open the door and look at the salon, the place where I had spent so much time. Many of the books have been taken out, no doubt by Aleister and his men, but Nemo’s pipe organ is still standing tall.

I sit down on the bench like I have many times before, missing watching Nemo play. It hasn’t been long at all, but we have been through so much…

I reach out and run my fingers across the keys, not applying any pressure, just enough to feel. The only music I want this instrument to make is Nemo’s.

When I look over towards the large porthole, I stumble back when I see Hatteras already there. He’s so quiet!

He slowly reaches out and puts his fingertips on the glass, staring out at the waves gently sloshing against the pane.

“How many wonders you’ve seen through here… Professor,” he whispers. “I’m glad I finally get to see it in person.”

His words say what his expression doesn’t: he’s frowning the same as usual.

“Heya, my honeys!” Barbicane’s voice rings out over the intercom. “Well, ‘my honey’… except you’re not really my honey. Hey, my friend’s honey…? Anyway! Feels kinda weird to say this, but we’re going to be diving in just a bit, so hang tight!”

Aleister steps into the salon and looks around- his amused expression makes my blood boil.

It feels like Aleister—Hatteras, too—are invading something precious. I keep my eyes on them as Barbicane runs past to check up on the engines.

“This would be the best place to view the sea life, wouldn’t it, Aronnax-kun? Would you mind terribly if this old man joined you?”

I feel like I’m going to be sick, but I put a smile on my face and shake my head.

“Of course not, you’re the Captain’s guest, after all.”

I stand up and force myself to walk closer to the porthole, stopping only to let Barbicane run back through.

Soon we begin to dive back under the water, but instead of entering a new world I feel like I’m being smothered by the untouched depths. It’s cold and horrible.

Aleister and Hatteras’ presences choke me, and I move closer to the porthole to surround myself with the thing I once found the most comforting in the world.

“Are you feeling all right, Aronnax-kun?”

I look back at them. They’re doing nothing, Aleister with his eyes on me and Hatteras with his eyes on the bubbles moving upwards beyond the glass.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I say. “If you excuse me for a moment…”

I turn and begin to walk towards the bridge when I see Hatteras’ jaw go slack.

“The ice…” he whispers.

I turn around, and I understand what made Hatteras show a fraction of emotion.

The ice looks like a prism, candy blue and reflecting shafts of light through the water. A kaleidoscope of rainbows just for us.

“The water is so blue,” I whisper. “We’re... we’re the first people to ever penetrate the water here.”

“Discovery,” Hatteras adds. “It’s an addicting sensation, Professor.”

I see movement out of the corner of my eye and dive to grab a blank journal from the bookshelves, thanking my luck that they weren’t taken out. My charcoal is also still nearby, and I dash back to begin my sketching.

They aren’t narwhals, but Pusa hispida: ringed seals. They glide like ballerinas through the water, smooth and perfect. They’re spectacular models, their sleek bodies reflecting in the sunlight to show me all the intricate patterns of their skin.

“She works fast,” Hatteras says, most likely to Aleister—I’m not paying much attention to either one of them anymore, to be honest.

It feels fantastic to have the charcoal in my grip again, capturing the movement of life in a connection between my eyes and fingertips.

Page after page, everything from the way they turn their heads to the pattern of their teeth as they dart after fish, these creatures are imprinting themselves on my heart the same way I’m imprinting them on paper.

Hatteras’ peers upwards through the porthole, searching for the whales. Eventually, his frown deepens and he goes back to watching the seals.

“Captain?” I look up at him. “I’d say that this trip is a great success so far.”

“But we haven’t found any narwhals yet,” he replies.

“And we might not at all,” I say. “I remember during my voyage I was hoping…”

I smile at a seal that was curiously nosing at the porthole, stopping my thoughts to dash out its smile and whiskers with a few strokes of my charcoal.

“I was hoping to see a giant squid. A live one.”

“You didn’t,” says Hatteras.

“No. But I saw so many incredible things, and I got to walk on the floor of the ocean itself. How can I be disappointed? Look at them, Captain!”

I point out of the porthole at the seals.

“They’re so close, they’re alive and beautiful! How can I be disappointed?”

Hatteras tilts his head and stares at me like my words are being filtered through some kind of translator.

“I don’t think I would enjoy being a scientist,” he says. “In exploration, there is victory and failure. There are none of these other options.”

I’m surprised to hear Aleister chuckle.

“That’s not true, Jonathan. If you set out to find El Dorado, would it be a failure if you found Atlantis instead?”

Hatteras is quiet, then he turns to look at Aleister.

“Yes, it would be. Even if you found Atlantis, you still would not have met your goal of finding El Dorado.”

“Haha… what a depressing young man you are,” replies Aleister.

I look back towards the water, watching the seals flit away.

\---

As time passes, Hatteras continues to look more and more disappointed as he looks out the porthole.

There are many shrimp in the water, and even though it’s hard to get proper sketches of them I do my best to record as much about them as I can.I never would have thought that they could thrive all the way up here!

“Shrimp now?” asks Hatteras.

“You’re surprised?” I smile. “I thought you would have realized… I love all sea life.”

Hatteras slowly sinks down into the chaise lounge.

“Poor Jonathan,” says Aleister. “Perhaps science really isn’t your forte after all.”

“Perhaps not biology,” I say. “But, Hatteras, your acoustics research is brilliant.”

Hatteras looks at me, once again trying to find the correct words to say.

“That was… out of necessity,” he says. “I did it so that I could live somewhat comfortably, not to better the world or leave my mark or… whatever it is that Impey Barbicane and his type do.”

I rub the back of my head. “Well, your motivation might have been different, but still…”

Aleister chuckles. “Don’t worry about it, Aronnax-kun. Jonathan has a tendency to be rather contrary at times. It seems he’s exceptionally bad today.”

I’m surprised to see color rise to Hatteras’ cheeks. “Jimmy, such comments aren’t needed.”

I begin to laugh, and it’s the sound of my own laughter that reminds me: I’m not with friends. No matter how gentle, how fatherly, how kind Aleister might look and even sound…

I stand up and close my journal.

“It’s getting late.I’ll speak with Barbicane about getting us back to Northernmost Base.”

“Aronnax-kun.”

I stop, but don’t turn around.

“Thank you for a pleasant afternoon,” says Aleister. “I found it very enjoyable.”

I nod, though I’m a little surprised at myself.

“I must admit, Aleister, I was caught off-guard by how much I enjoyed this. Perhaps in another time...”

‘We could have been friends’ is what I almost said.

“In another time?” Aleister repeats.

“In another time, I would have been fooled just like everyone else.”

“You were,” says Aleister. “And, as I recall, you seemed very happy in that lie. Just like Nemo-kun was.”

I sigh. “You’re right. Far be it from me to forget my humble beginnings.”

I walk back to the bridge, done with the salon as long as Aleister is there.

“Hey, hey, Polly-chan! I didn’t see any narwhals up here, did you have any luck?”

I beam. “Not narwhals, but did you see those ringed seals? I got so many wonderful sketches of them-- and shrimp, too! There’s so much life up here, Barbicane, it’s fantastic!”

“Aw, glad I could be the driver for your tour,” Barbicane grins as he leans against the ship’s wheel. “You ready to head back?”

I nod, holding my journal to my chest.

“I can’t wait to show them everything.”

“‘Them’, huh?” Barbicane’s grin just widens.

“Of course,” I huff. “I want Cardia and I to compare our sketching, and Smith is such a fantastic naturalist that I would love to get her opinion. Conseil has supported me from the beginning, too...”

“And Nemo?”

My cheeks begin to ache a bit from smiling. “Barbicane, that’s like asking me if you’re excited to see Cardia again.”

“Aw, what a cute answer! Okay, Professor! My Engine of Love is going to get us back to base lickety-split! There aren’t going to be any lonely hearts while Impey Barbicane’s at the helm!”

Yes, despite this being a trip with Aleister and Hatteras, my heart still feels full. I feel proud of my work. If these were better circumstances, I would love to take the time to truly research all the brilliant life up here.

But as we surface near the base, I remember that Barbicane and I are prisoners.

“... You gotta be kidding me.”

“Huh?”

“Look through the periscope, Polly-chan.”

I pull the periscope down to my height and turn it so it’s facing the base.

Near the Harper’s tethering, there appears to be a... dancing purple marshmallow.

“Nemo!”

He’s hopping from one foot to the other, waving so much that it looks like he’ll fall over.

I step back and grab the ladder, preparing to open the hatch.

“Hey, Polly-chan, we’re still far away! You’ll freeze your nose off!”

“It looks like he’s yelling something, it’ll only be a moment,” I say as I open it up.

“Isn’t he -always- yelling something, though...?”

I climb so that I’m able to look over the edge of the hatch and wave towards the makeshift dock.

“Nemo, we’re back!” I yell towards him, though I sincerely doubt he can hear me.

And, at first, I’m not sure I’m hearing him, either.

But as I stand there and listen, I realize that I am.

I am hearing his yelling correctly.

It’s not a greeting or anything that would make any sort of sense.

What Nemo’s yelling, in plain English, is this:

“MAAAAAAAAAAAAAA---RRYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-----!!!”


	57. Mobilis in Mobili

I stare at the man yelling at me off the dock, his hair blowing about as he cups his hands around his mouth.

There has to be another way to interpret what’s in front of me.

But then he forms his hands into a heart shape and motions like he’s firing it at me, even with a “pew pew” sound effect.

“S-Stay right there, Nemo, okay?!”

He’s still firing his heart missiles at me as I duck back into the Harper.

“What’s up with him?” asks Barbicane.

I look at Barbicane with an expression that must look very stupid, but I’m not exactly sure how else to process the realization:

“He’s… he’s proposing.”

Barbicane’s mouth opens, and then it closes.

“That’s… he’s what…?! He’s standing out there in negative degree weather when—oh, Nemo!”

“I’m getting him someplace warm,” I say, pausing to gather my winter gear and scarves. “Keep Aleister and Hatteras on here as long as you can.”

“Uh…” Barbicane stares at me.

“Aleister especially. I really don’t want him to interrupt this. I mean, could you imagine what danger we’d be in if he found out that Nemo was proposing to me?”

“Polly Polly POLLY!” Barbicane begins waving his arms frantically.

“Barbicane, what is it?”

“Hahaha….”

That damn grandfatherly laugh.

“Danger, Aronnax-kun?”

I turn around to see Aleister looking at me, his eyes shining as if he had found out that it’s his own son proposing.

“I’ll have you know that I’m actually quite the romantic,” he says.

I narrow my eyes and say, “We probably find very different things to be ‘romantic’, Aleister.”

“Perhaps,” he answers. “But even an old man such as myself can recognize the importance of a proposal. I’ll keep Jonathan entertained on here, you go on and give him your answer.”

I look worriedly at Barbicane, and he shrugs.

“I don’t know, Polly-chan, but Nemo’s going to become a Snow-Scientist if you don’t get out there soon! He’s pitiful enough without blue toes…”

I nod to him and begin to climb the ladder.

“Aronnax-kun.”

I stop and look back down at Aleister, who has a gentle expression so good that I almost forget who I’m dealing with.

“Don’t break Nemo-kun’s heart.”  

I narrow my eyes, but give a polite nod before climbing up the ladder and opening the hatch.

Nemo’s waiting for me near the ropes, air coming out of his open mouth in quick puffs as he can’t stop beaming. His frosted goggles are sitting atop a rosy nose and cheeks, and I’m already in the process of unwrapping one of my scarves for him as I climb down the side of the submarine.

“Marry me!”

“Nemo, you’re going to catch pneumonia out here!” I walk over to him.

“Marry me, Professor Polly-chaaaaan--!”

“If you had just waited a little bit longer…” I loop the scarf around his neck, covering his red nose and cheeks with the warm fabric.

It only muffles his voice a little bit.

“Maaaaaaaarry me, Pauliiiiine--!”

“How did you even get out here, Nemo?” I put my gloved hands over his ears, trying to warm him up. “Let’s get back to where it’s warm.”

He furrows his eyebrows and puffs his chest out.

“IIIIIIIIIIII’m not going aaaaaaaaaaanywhere until I get an answer from you, Professor Pauline Honorine Aronnax!!!”

It’s too cold for this. It’s way too cold for this!

Not sure what else to say, I cup his cold cheeks in my hands and look in his eyes. “Nemo, I don’t want to tell you ‘yes’ with chattering teeth.”

His smile widens as he realizes what I’m saying, but I cut off the bubbling excitement by taking him by the hand and dragging him towards an automobile. Romance can wait, I am cold. There is wind. I cannot concentrate like this, I can’t believe he’s proposing…!

“Did you drive out here in this?”

Nemo’s still beaming and nods at me with a cute wrinkle in his nose. “They weren’t using it, so I just borrowed it!”

“You could have gotten in a wreck with the ice and the soldiers and the… and the—I didn’t even know you could drive! You could have been killed!”

“Unlikely.” He just smiles at me pitifully. “I couldn’t wait for you to get back, Pauline. I had to see you riiiiiiiight now!”

“So you hijacked a car and drove out here in Arctic temperatures!?”

He nods, still smiling brightly.

I quickly open the passenger door and shove him inside (squawk!) before scooching around to the driver’s side and getting in.

Finally, it’s not as frigid! I rub my hands together and look down at the wheel.

Oh.

I just remembered that I can’t drive.

Damnit, my mind is all cluttered!

“Hold on, we’re switching seats. I can’t drive.”

I take a deep breath before kicking the door back open and stomping around to the other side.

Nemo’s sliding out of his seat, a grin on his face as he springs back up and holds the passenger door open for me.

“Thanks, Nemo, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I just—oof!” I fall forward as Nemo slams the palm of his hand into my back, sending me sprawling into the back seat of the automobile.

Before I can get up or even roll over onto my back, I hear the door slam and feel a loveable ragdoll of a scientist flop down on my back.

“Nemo…?”

“Shhh…”

I jolt when I feel him gently begin to pet my head.

“You’re so juuuumpy!” he laughs, and I can feel his chest move from the force of it. It makes my ears hurt a bit, and I rub one of them with a wince. He gives it a kiss, laughing a little more softly this time.

“Breeeeeathe, Pauline.”

“But I--”

“Breathe.”

His voice sounds forceful and raspy. Realizing there isn’t much more I can do, I obey him. I shift, leaning into his warm skin, and close my eyes to focus.

For a long time, all I can hear is our breathing and the wind outside. It’s... weird, not hearing Nemo’s voice. It’s too quiet, I can’t relax like this.

“Nemo...?”

“Mrph?”

“... Can you talk to me? About science?”

I feel him practically vibrating above me.

“Ha-haaaaa! I’m aaaaaaaalways prepared to delve out inspiration as needed! So, what shall we discuuuuuss?”

I smile, knowing that this ‘discussion’ will really be more of a lecture. “Well, what do you think about, er, the new steam engines that were on display at the World’s Fair?”

“Ho-hoooooooooooo!! You have NO idea, weeeeeell.....!!”

I close my eyes again, this time a contented smile on my face as he chatters excitedly away. He always sounds so happy when he talks about technology.

“Hmmmmm? Don’t fall asleep on me, Polly-chaaan...”

He begins to pet my hair again, and I squirm a bit until he lets me roll over so that I’m on my back and able to see him looking down at me.

“You were so frantic out there!” he giggles. “Were you that surprised?”

I try to speak, but he just shushes me with a kiss.

“I’ve been thinking about this since you said ‘always’. Since I said ‘always’!”

“So, since yesterday..?” I tilt my head. “That’s rather fast, don’t you think?”

“Hee hee hee... weeeell, just the ‘legally binding’ part,” he says as he rests his forehead against mine. “The ‘together forever’ part... it took my magnificent brain to catch up a bit with my magnificent heart, but it’s still been quite a looooooong time!”

He gives me a gentle kiss. “Long enough.”

I smile against his lips as I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down so he’s completely on top of me again.

“Marry me,” he repeats into my skin.

I continue to kiss him, not even wanting to drag my lips away to give an answer. He’s the one who pulls back, looking down at me in anticipation.

I nod.

“I will.”

Nemo shakily sucks in his breath, like his body is having trouble responding.

“Oh...” his voice starts out quiet, but as expected-- “Ohhhhhhhhhh...!!! Ohhhh, myyyyyyyy fiancéeeeeeeeeeee!!!”

He’s laughing, but at the same time I can hear him begin to sniffle as tears roll past his goggles and down his cheeks.

“Nemo...” I untie one of my scarfs and begin to wipe his cheeks as he continues to tremble.

“R-Really---?! Really really reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaally----?! Marvelous, it’s marvelooooous!!!”

He wraps his arms around me and kicks his feet in delight, making the automobile sway from side-to-side.

Then he sits up, lifting me up with him so I’m practically on his lap.

“Ha!” Nemo arcs an eyebrow, his lips spreading into a cocky grin. “Not to brag, but you’re quite the lucky woman! After all, I’m sure you’ll find that I’m the number one genius mad scientist husband the world has ever seeeeeeeeen!”

I wipe the remaining tears off of his cheek before giving it a kiss. “I have no doubt about that, Nemo.”

Nemo takes my hand and puts it to his chest, sliding it under his leather strap.

“You can feeeel it, right? My heart?”

I nod, able to feel the steady thump-tump under my palm.

“I want you to have it with you always, my darling, to always feel it beating for the power of science and love! Hee hee... but I can’t rip it out of my chest! No, all I can do is give you this...”

He reaches into one of his coat pockets and pulls out a ring, but it’s not like any ring I’ve ever seen. It’s not made of gold or even brass. It’s a strange metal, beaten, worn but strong.

“Is it iron...?” I lower my glasses to take a closer look.

“Close, veeeery close, my love! It’s an iron alloy-- steel, to be price, but noooot quite that, either. It’s tough, tougher than anything else out there! After all, what else could make up the wings of my heart?”

Something about that phrasing felt very familiar, and I try to seek out Nemo’s eyes behind his goggles.

“Wings...?”

“Yes! The material that can lift my soul, rising higher and higher into space even as we speaaaaaaak!”

I sit back away from the ring, staring at it as though I can’t believe it exists.

“Are you telling me... this ring was part of the Nautilus?”

Muahahahaha.... that’s right, that’s riiiiiiiiiight! This ring was made from the hull! Turns out our captor has quite the collection of historical memorabilia! Antique weapons, photographs of his beloved Queen, even some of Isaac-sensei’s writings!”

He grimaces and looks away. “Nothing new, sadly... such a shame, I was soooo excited when I first saw them...”

He glances back at me before his usual grin reappears. “But, but, buuuuut the crown jewel was a small chunk of the Nautilus’ hull! Sneaky fellow must’ve bought it on the black market during construction, I knew those birdbrain Twilight workers couldn’t resist pilfering my extraordinary genius...”

He shakes his head. “But, details detaaaaiiils! What matters is that it’s here, I found it, and I just kneeeeeew! It was destiny, Polly-chan, a beautiful destiny shining its light on our loooooooove! So I found a blowtorch and smoothed her down to a pretty pair of wedding bands. One for the architect, and one for the fiancée!”

He leans over me again, and I quickly grab onto his shoulder so I don’t fall backwards. This only encourages him, and his smile widens as he loops his free hand around my waist.

“...My sweet little danger-seeking dorsal fin told me once that she wished she had seen the Nautilus, riiiiight?”

Did he just call me his ‘dorsal fin’?

His lips droop into a pout as his voice turns surprisingly soft. “Ohhhh... I wish you could have seen it, too! It would have been so much fun to show you my untethered genius, for you to ride upon my soul as I bring you to ecstasy over and over and over...! From the movement of the sea to the movement of the sky!!”

I punctuate his desperate wishes with a chaste kiss, but when I pull away he yanks me back to him and kisses me with all the fervor I could possibly dream of. I don’t think he’s even particularly aiming for my mouth, his lips falling on whatever skin he can reach.

Both of his arms are around me now, though with all of our coats on it isn’t as intimate as I would like-- I mean, we’re at the North Pole, this really isn’t the place-- but god, his kisses are a drug!

“Ne-Nemo, the ring, careful!” I finally manage to gasp out in-between his kisses.

He takes a deep breath, looking at me and nodding before holding the ring to the light.

“Look! On the inside is engraved the same motto that I carved on the finished ship- MOOOOOOBILIS IN MOBILIIIIIIIII!”

“Mobilis in mobili... moving in movement?”  
  
“Moving in the moving element! Hahahaaaa, a motto fitting for one who soars across the heavens, don’t you think?”

I pull his hand towards me so I can get a closer look at the delicate lettering. Nemo has a very good hand for detail.

“It also suits someone who prefers to soar beneath the waves,” I muse.

“Perfect, perfect, it’s absolutely splendiiiiiid!!”

He kisses down my neck before straightening up.

“It’s yours. My heart...” he takes off my glove and affectionately presses his cheek to the back of my hand. “My genius... and the remains of a chariot that once illuminated the sky with science!”

He takes my hand and slips the ring on my finger. It’s more beautiful than any diamond, physical proof of this man’s adoration of science.

“Your eyes are glistening with such fervor, like a water-bound creature gazing upon the might of the sun! Ahh, it must be my responsibility, then, to serve as a winged beast to pluck you from the sea!”

... Winged beast? Like, a seagull? A seagull hunting fish? That metaphor isn’t really...

But my racing thoughts are interrupted when Nemo clutches me to him once again.

“I won’t let you fall,” he says. “Like you led me beneath the waves with your science, I’ll take you above the clouds with miiiine... as my partner-- no, as my wife!”

He lays me back down on the seat and begins to kiss me again.

***

The sun has set as deep as it will this far up north, casting the ice and snow in bars of gold.

The colors of twilight really suit Nemo, glinting off the edges of his goggles as he sits at the wheel.

He glances over at me and reaches out to give my cheek a light pinch.

“You all right over there~?” he lilts.

A part of me wants to tell him that he looks cool, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the results of THAT ego-boost. So I just smile and say, “You’re going a little fast, aren’t you?”

“Aaaaaaaam I...?”

His teeth shine mischievously as he moves the gear lever and presses on the accelerator.

As the automobile whirrs loudly, I begin to laugh from how the speed is tickling my stomach.

“N-Nemo, slow down, the road isn’t--!” more giggles are forced from my throat, and I hold my hand over my stomach in an attempt to stop myself. “This isn’t safe, come on...!”

The engine quiets as Nemo takes his foot off the pedal, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“This thing was going waaaaaaaaay faster when I was driving after you,” he says. “It still wasn’t enough...”

He glances my way.

“I had to see you.”

I smile and lean against the window, using my scarf as a barricade from the chilled surface.

“I’m glad you did,” I say quietly, closing my eyes. “When we get back, we’ll have a lot of work to do, won’t we?”

“Mmm-hmmm~”

I sigh. 

“Hatteras, Aleister... I just want to spend more time with you, Nemo.”

“Hee hee hee, don’t be selfish, now!”

I can practically hear him puff out his chest, though.

“When we get back to Steel London, I’ll give you all the love I can, okay? Until then, be a good little scientist and help me get this place blown to smithereeeeeens, okay?”

I contentedly begin to nod off, mumbling: “I’m a very good scientist. I have to be, since I’ll be your wife.”

“Aaaahh... I love hearing you say that...!”

“What, that I’m a good scientist?”

He bursts out laughing. “Yes, yes that’s it exaaaaaaactly!”

 


	58. For Old Time's Sake

The wind tosses him back and forth, this thin body swaying from one wall to the next.

“Jonathan.”

He stops moving, holding his body upright against the wind as he slowly looks over his shoulder.

“Jimmy.”

“You asked me here for a chat, and I find you attempting to freeze yourself again,” Aleister shakes his head. “Won’t you close the door, Jonathan?”

Hatteras takes a step back and slowly closes the door, muffling the howling he had been indulging in.

“Now,” Aleister slowly rests his hands atop his cane. “It’s rare for you to ask me for a conversation. Is this about Aronnax-kun’s engagement?”

Hatteras shakes his head. “No, not at all.”

“Hm, you say that confidently while still wearing her scarf.”

Hatteras slowly lifts a hand and trails his fingertips across the fabric, as though he himself needs to confirm that this is the case.

“Would that make things more interesting for you, Jimmy?” he asks.

Aleister looks over the man standing in front of him before slowly shaking his head.

“No, that would make it a rather stale story, I’m afraid.” 

“Then you should be relieved,” Hatteras replies sharply.

“Haha… you’re so defensive. Very well, then. How may I assist?”

“The wind will be dying down in a few days,” says Hatteras.

“You’ve always had an uncanny knack for predicting the wind’s behavior,” says Aleister. “Is that all you wanted to say, then?”

“Impatient,” Hatteras mutters. “Am I keeping you from something more interesting now?”

“Yes,” Aleister replies.

Hatteras opens his mouth to laugh, but there’s no sound. No sound and no smile.

“I will keep this quick,” he says. “When the wind dies down, I will be very weak. I don’t know what Aronnax and the others will do at the time, but I must ask for your protection.”

Aleister looks at Hatteras like he’s honestly considering it. Then, he closes his eyes and sighs.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Jonathan.”

Hatteras nods silently.

“So this is it, then,” he says. “Very well.”

Aleister chuckles.

“Is that all you have to say, Jonathan?”

“Your cooperation has always come with a time limit, Jimmy. You made sure I knew that.”

An uneasy silence settles over the both of them, until Hatteras surprisingly speaks again: “I’m just surprised that it was Dakkar, as he is now.”

“Don’t misunderstand me, Jonathan. This isn't about favoritism,” replies Aleister. “I know how hard it is to try to create a new family. Nemo-kun must be in a lot of pain right now.”

Hatteras turns around to look at Aleister. “You do know, don’t you? Yes, you lost your family, too... or...”

Hatteras leans forward, tilting his head curiously. “Or are you perhaps referring to that man... the love of your life?”

Aleister gives a shrug. “Who knows.”

Hatteras tilts his head further, boring into Aleister’s gaze with his own. He withdraws quickly, though, when he sees the impenetrable blackness of Aleister’s pupils.

“Dakkar doesn’t seem to be in pain,” says Hatteras, quickly inhaling to regain some semblance of his usual coldness. “I suppose that won’t be the case when you’re through. You do love shattering things that are already broken. But, tell me, Jimmy, for old time’s sake... what do you plan on doing with the Professor?”

\-----

There was a part of me that was hoping that, for at least tonight, we could keep our engagement to ourselves. It would be a secret just for the two of us.

But as Nemo and I entered the hangar, he squeezed my hand and looked at me with all the unrestrained delight of a child at Christmas. I knew I couldn’t keep that joy contained.

I surprised myself when I took a step forward, still holding his hand as I yell: “Everybody...! We’re engaged!!”

My voice is easily drowned out by the noise of the mechanics, so Nemo takes a deep breath, letting go of my hand so I can cover my ears.

“WEEEEEEE----’RE GEEEEEEE-TTING MAAAAAAAAAAAA-RRIED---!!!”

The first person to poke her head out from the airship is Cardia, her eyes shining. Next comes Smith, covered in oil and grinning like a loon. Finally, Conseil practically falls out of the airship in an attempt to scramble to get a look at us.

Nemo grins and gives a thumbs up at Conseil, who is only being held up by a smirking Ned Land.

“Please put me down, Ned,” says Conseil.

“Here you go, sweetheart, try not to bust any blood vessels,” says Ned as he deposits Conseil safely on the ground.

I take a deep breath and look over at Nemo.

“Nemo, think you’d mind checking on Barbicane for a moment?”

Nemo grins back at me before giving me a ‘pat-pat’ on the head. “Good luuuuuck~!”

I watch Nemo bound off to meet Barbicane. The two of them embrace warmly, clapping each other on the back and laughing like best friends who hadn’t seen each other in years.

“Professor...?”

I look back at Conseil, who’s staring at me with arched eyebrows.

“Conseil?” I parrot back at him.

He purses his lips like he isn’t sure how to respond. Finally, he simply shrugs his shoulders and says: “I’m not surprised.”

“I suppose not,” I say.

He shakes his head. “No, it’s not that the engagement was predictable. I’m not surprised simply because your intended came running through the hangar screaming that the divinity of science had smiled upon him, and he was going to propose to his beloved.

I slowly nod.

Yes, that sounds like my intended.

“In all honesty,” Conseil continues. “I had thought that such matters wouldn’t be brought up until we all returned to Steel London.”

My posture relaxes and I smile. “Steel London? Not France?”

Conseil clears his throat and adjusts his bow tie.

“Don’t worry, Conseil, I won’t say anything,” my smile turns into a smirk.

“I should hope not,” says Conseil with a dignified sniff. “If that lunatic or any of his friends found out that I’m not completely opposed to this madness, they might think that I’m one of them!”

“Aww, sweetheart, you ARE one of us!”

Conseil sputters as a pair of muscular arms wrap around him from behind.

“NED!”

Conseil grits his teeth, trying to wiggle away, but eventually he slumps against his lover’s chest.

“When did you start affiliating yourself with them?” he mutters.

“Probably ‘round the time we were all stuffed on a tiny train together,” Ned ruffles Conseil’s hair. “Say, you think that cutie Cardia will call me ‘big brother’ too?”

“Hooooooooooooold on!”

It’s like the very phrase ‘big brother’ summoned him, and Nemo comes crashing into the conversation with all the grace of a battle tank.

“The role of ‘big brother’ has already been delegated to meeeee, the genius scientist Neeeeeeeeemo!” he juts a finger out towards Ned. “Besiiiiides, the way you said that sounds v-e-r-y suspicious! The role of ‘big brother’ is--”

“Nobody cares,” Conseil’s voice is flat.

But Nemo keeps on going, thoroughly lecturing Ned on the importance of familial roles.

“Hmph! A rotten big brother and a rotten assistant, bwa---hahahahaha! What a pair!”

“Hey, hey, prey shouldn’t badmouth the predator... or something...” Ned trails off, scrunching his nose. “I mean... man, are you really prey at this point? Sweetheart?”

Ned looks down at Conseil for guidance.

Conseil grits his teeth and tries to look anywhere but at Nemo. He manages to hiss out something, but it’s unintelligible.

“Sweetheart?” Ned tilts his head.

“No.” Conseil finally spits out that one syllable.

“No?” Ned scrunches his nose. “I mean, makes sense, but... this is the first time prey’s gotten away from me...”

“Don’t hurt yourself trying to think too hard,” Nemo rolls his eyes so hard that his entire head moves. “Anyone capable of basic logic can see that I haven’t ‘gotten away’. See?”

He snaps his fingers in front of Ned’s nose. “I’m right here!”

“But that’s not what I--”

“Just let it go, Ned, my friend. Just let it go.” Conseil shakes his head, though he looks a little relieved. Maybe just a little bit.


	59. Shiny Red Button

“DO! GE! ZA!”

I walk upon quite the sight when I enter the hangar. Barbicane, Smith, and Cardia all in a row, kneeling with their foreheads touching the ground.

“In Asia this is the greatest expression of humility, the dogeza--!” exclaims Barbicane.

Standing in front of them, tapping his foot and looking down at them like they’re mere ants, is Nemo.

“I know what ‘dogeza’ is. What I want to know, Impeeeeey Barbicaaaane is HOW YOU CAN BE SO BAD AT TIME MANAGEMENT THAT WE’RE IN THIS PREDICAMENT?!”

“I get it, I get it!” Barbicane waves his hands, his head still on the ground. “But, you know, every genius has to have a weakness, right--? Like, your voice— ooof--!”

Nemo puts one of his boots on Barbicane’s head, smooshing his face against the floor.

“Yeeeeeeeees, my voice! Listen to it well, Impey Barbicane--!”

Barbicane interrupts Nemo by standing up, causing Nemo to fall backwards onto his rump with a squawk.

“That was too much,” Barbicane rubs his nose with a frown. “Man, you really do have a sadistic streak!!”

“Sadism? Ho-hooo! Oh, that’s fun, but I really look more like an ‘M’ type, don’t you thiiiink~?”

“I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT AND YOU KNOW IT, NEMO!”

“This is punishment for our hubris, I guess…” Smith mumbles from the floor.

“We should still be okay,” Cardia stands up, brushing the dust from her pants. She smiles brightly at the other three, like an angel radiating calm. “The flight might be a little bumpier, but if we adjust the…”

Cardia starts talking in jargon that I don’t understand, but from the smiles growing on Nemo’s and Barbicane’s faces, she’s hit the jackpot. She’s immediately surrounded by two men, one of them declaring her his angel and the other one talking about what a fantastic little sister he has. It’s kind of cute.

“All right!” Barbicane clenches his fist. “We’re back in business thanks to Cardia-chan!”

Poor Cardia just stands there as the two men pose adoringly around her. Smith somehow finds confetti to throw over them. I’m not even going to pretend to understand.

“But we muuuustn’t dawdle!” Nemo wags his finger.

“Right, right, I got it!” Barbicane sighs. “Look, with Cardia’s idea I should only need a little more time to get this baby ready. You go ahead and start with the explosions, right? Remember the plan—start in storage or something where people won’t be around!”

“Oh, Impey Barbicane, my dear, sweet friend… do I look like the kind of man who would set off explosives in a highly-populated area?”

“Yes,” says Barbicane.

“Yes,” says Cardia.

“Yep,” says Smith.

“Totally!” Ned Land yells from the airship.

“You do,” Conseil walks by with a crate of supplies.

“W-Well, I…” I suddenly feel far too many eyes on me, so I can’t help but sigh. “I—I’m sorry, Nemo, but… I’m afraid I must agree with them.”

“Ohhhhhhhh… even my blushing bride has turned against me---!” Nemo sniffs, but the wide smile on his face makes me think that he’s not too unhappy with our opinion of him. “Come with me, Professor! Today you’ll be my cuuuuute assistant!”

I can hardly let out a squeak of protest as Nemo takes my hand and begins to drag me beside him. Instead I just look over my shoulder and wave, “Y-You have your transmitters, right?”

Smith just gives a wink and a thumbs up.

Soon the temporary hallways engulf us, and Nemo grips my hand tighter.

“You look really happy,” I say.

He just looks back at me with a grin. “Why not? It’s been such a long time since I’ve been able to have fun like this!”

Due to the harsh winds and the base itself being built on ice, there is only one building that could be called a ‘tower’. This is the communications tower, where aether transmitters are lined against the walls to receive messages from around the world. Nemo’s had his eye on it since he started setting up his explosives, and I know part of the reason he’s so excited is because he’ll finally be able to get at all the tech stored in there.

We pass through another entrance and Nemo waves to the guards ahead. “Ahoy, gentlemen~!”

As expected, they don’t even look our way.

“Well, that makes thing easy enough for me-!” Nemo strikes a dramatic pose and tosses a small capsule towards them. Before the guards can react, gas begins to spit from the capsule with a hiss. As the guards begin to double over coughing, Nemo covers my mouth and nose with a sweet-smelling cloth and dives towards the door with me.

When we get inside, he gives another merry wave towards the employees. Luckily, there’s only about four of them and they’re no match for more of Nemo’s capsules.

“Wahahahahaaaa.... even the mightiest fall to Hypnos’ allure! These boys should be out for about half an hour, that will give us pleeeenty of time to get this show started!”

The next part isn’t nearly as glamorous as diving through sleeping gas in the arms of your beloved. Neither Nemo nor I are particularly good at heavy lifting, so we resort to dragging the snoozing workers into the hallway by their shoulders.

Finally, with the doors barred behind us, we look around the communications tower. It’s only two levels, but because the rest of the base is so low to the ground, I imagine we’ll be able to see for miles from the upper platform.

Nemo hops up the stairs two at a time, the metal echoing under his boots. It’s that noise that makes both of us really turn and look at one another.

“You don’t hear it either, do you?” I ask.

There is no wind.

That noise has been a constant in our trip, a roar not unlike the blood pumping through our bodies. With it suddenly gone, I can hear everything from my heartbeat to the quiet breathing of Hatteras’ men sleeping on the other side of the door.

And, of course, the darling scientist who decides that it would be wonderful to fill the newfound silence with a booming laugh straight from the bottom of his diaphragm.

“HeheheheheheHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA---HAHAHAHA---!!!” he punctuates it with a dramatic pose, throwing his head back and raising his hands to the sky. “It’s time, it’s time, it’s tiiiiiiiiiiii---me!”

He leaps down the stairs (stumbling in the process and trying to distract me from that fact by striking an odd pose) and grabs both of my hands before dragging me up to the second floor.

Nemo is beaming with unbridled excitement that he can best convey through loud laughter and tight hugs. When I hold his face in my hands and try to calm him down with a kiss, I can still feel him vibrating underneath me.

I love it when he smiles as we kiss. It makes everything so much sweeter!

I can see the shadows of his eyes shining with energy as he pulls back, and he takes a deep breath before turning me around to face the large window looking out over the base.

It’s magnificent, the flat ice stretching on for as long as the eye can see until it meets the golden horizon. The makeshift base feels wrong next to it, and I’m almost relieved when I realize that it won’t be here for much longer.

An impish giggle makes me turn back around, and I see Nemo unfolding a map on the table in front of some of the consoles.

“Tell me, my love, have you ever had the privilege of compleeeetely annihilating something? Sending it sky-high in a kaleidoscope of fire and watching it fall back to earth as mere aaaaashes?!”

I slowly shake my head. “I can say with absolute certainty that I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

“Fwee hee hee...” he giggles ominously before sliding an arm around me and leading me back to the table. I don’t know how he set it up so quickly or how he even managed to hide all these things, but wires and bright red buttons are laying about the map according to specific diagrams.

He looks at me with a mischievous grin before running his index finger down one of the buttons like it's a woman’s flesh. “Maaaaybe I should give you the pleasure of your first time, then.”

I swallow and look away, laughing lightly. “W-Well, that sounds well and good, but shouldn’t the starting explosion be yours to take? I mean...”

I lean against the table and shrug, biting my lip as I cast my eyes downwards. “You worked so hard on it...”

He yanks me back to him with a mad grin. “After the first bomb goes off, you have to go help the others with the evacuation, riiiight? I’m not letting you get away that easily!”

He leans down so his breath is hot on my ear. “It’s now or never, daaaaarliiiiing~!”

My eyelids flutter, and I’m fairly certain that I would have a hard time saying ‘no’ to anything he asked of me. With his hands on my hips guiding me, I turn around and face the table, feeling the reassurance of his body behind me.

“Mm, do you always get this excited when you’re about to detonate something?” I turn my head and seek out his lips with mine, drawing his arms around me.

“Of course, of course! Much more when the company is good, hee hee!”

He kisses me again before tilting my head back towards the table and taking my hand in his.

His voice is surprisingly low when he puts my hand over the button and slowly draws his fingers back up my arm, murmuring: “Show them all what we’re made of.”

The button feels warm when I put my fingertips to it and press down.


	60. Rejecting the Sound

“Oh, are his explosions usually colored like that?”

“Haha, it would seem that he’s showing off a bit. Violet is really such a lovely color.”

Far away from Northernmost Base, in a sled filled with warm blankets, sit two white-haired men watching the fireworks.

“Claus, your hot cocoa is as perfect as always. I’m surprised Hansel let you get away with a kettle.”

Saint’s praise is punctuated by another blast.

“I made him some warm milk and honey before I went to collect you. He was enjoying some lemon drop treacle, and I thought the flavors would go better together.”

“You’re always so thoughtful, Claus.”

Smaller explosions rapidly go off one after another along the perimeter of the base, and there’s a loud crack as part of the supply cache tilts at an unnatural angle.

Claus’ smile wavers.

“Saint, you do think they’ve accounted for the breaking ice, don’t you?”

Saint chuckles.

“I don’t doubt it. In fact, I’m certain that our demolitionist is counting on a magnificent watery scene.”

Claus holds out his mug towards Saint. “A toast, then! To Nemo, and to Impey Barbicane for having such a good, accepting heart!”

“Cheers,” Saint taps his mug against Claus. “To Impey Barbicane, for always being on your nice list.”

“Ho ho! That he is, at the very top!”

The two of them take long drinks as more explosions pepper the icy vista below them.

\---

The flamboyant purple smoke is funneling into the sky as I make my way to one of the warehouses to check for any remaining soldiers. There’s been very little resistance from any of Hatteras’ men-- truth be told it sounds like they were more loyal to Aleister than Hatteras. I suppose it makes sense, given that he’s really the one signing their paychecks.

But with Aleister nowhere to be found and Hatteras’ base crumbling around him, most of them are all-too-eager to board our ships at the harbor.

As I enter the warehouse, I glance down at the watch Nemo gave me. This place isn’t set to blow for another twenty minutes, so I have plenty of time to make sure that there’s nobody around. Most people have evacuated by this point, but we all want to be absolutely certain.

“Nobody will die while Impey Barbicane is on the job!” I remember him thumping his chest with pride.

The warehouse rumbles from a nearby blast, and the ice beneath it groans. It really only will take one more explosion for this part of the base to sink into the water!

I spot movement ahead and straighten up.

“Hello? Please, if someone’s there, we’re evacuating Northernmost Base!”

“Mmmgh!!”

There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize that voice, and my eyes widen as I hear a loud clatter.

“Conseil?!” I yell.

“Quiet... please... all of you...!”

There’s a loud smack, followed by the thump of something hitting the floor.

My mind is moving faster than my body, making me stumble as I swing around a tall pile of crates blocking me from those voices.

Conseil, gagged and limp, lies completely still on the floor.

Above him stands his trembling assailant, holding his gun like a bludgeon.

Hatteras looks horrible, there’s no gentler way to put it. Deep bags are under his eyes, which are wavering and darting from corner to corner in an attempt to find something-- anything-- to steady his mind upon.

“Hatteras--”

“Quiet!”

It’s the loudest I’ve ever heard him, a high-pitched burst of noise that makes the speaker convulse in pain. He puts his hands over his ears, moaning in pain.

I glance from him to Conseil before diving towards my friend. He’s breathing evenly, and the knot forming on his head tells me that the gun really was used as a bludgeon instead of being fired. 

This is the second time I’ve seen Conseil bound like this, and as my fear for his safety begins to ebb, it’s replaced by a boiling anger.

“Hatteras...” my voice is low, but it still makes Hatteras tremble. “There are a lot of things I want to ask you, but we have to leave. Now!”

The force of that last syllable makes Hatteras double over, and I give Conseil one final look-over before I run to Hatteras.

“Stay... back...” he hisses through grit teeth, and the venom of his voice stops me cold.

He slowly looks up at me, his beautiful features twisted with such rage that he looks more like a demon than a man.

“Hatteras...” I lower my voice to barely a whisper. “What happened?”

“The wind!” his voice is so loud that it cracks. “You know-- you planned for it-- it’s gone! It’s gone and now... now all this noise...!”

There’s a rumble from a far-off explosion, and Hatteras shudders. “So much noise, and Aleister’s gone, too...! Aleister, he...”

Hatteras suddenly focuses his eyes on me like he’s reached a moment of clarity.

“Aleister, he wants to...”

“Aleister?” I whisper. “What is he planning?”

Hatteras stares at me for a long time before suddenly lurching forward, pushing me aside with so much strength that I collapse into one of the crates. 

“Before that happens...” Hatteras’ voice has gone back to its usual calmness, though burning in it is a rashness that makes me feel ill.

He’s waiting for me to stand up before he continues, so I take a deep breath and right myself, turning around.

He’s holding Conseil, bracing his dead weight against his side.

“Before that happens,” Hatteras repeats. “I want to conduct an experiment of my own.”

His pretty features are marred by his lips twisting into an awful smile. The first time I’ve seen him smile, and I wish I never had.

“You’re a scientist, right, Professor Aronnax?” his voice breaks into eerie, quiet laughter. “You’ll let me, right?”

He drops his pistol to the floor and kicks it, sending it skidding towards me.

“I want to find out once and for all, Professor, whether you’re a good person or not.”

He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a knife. Wasting no time, he presses it to Conseil’s cheek so blood begins to trickle down his chin.

He doesn’t need to say anything, but as shock settles in all I can do is stupidly ask: “What do you want me to do, Hatteras?”

“For a scientist, you’re not being very observant,” he snaps coldly. “Show me how that man has corrupted you! Pick up that gun and take a life. Justified, self-defense, it doesn’t matter... my legacy will be left on your conscience, Pauline Aronnax.”

He puts a hand to his mouth to stifle the laughter threatening to burst from his chest.

“I will be an eternal reminder of your wickedness, Professor! That desire for your paramour to push you over the moral event horizon-- my death will be that desire made flesh!”

As though he’s forgotten about how painful noise is to him, he throws his head back and lets out the laugh he was trying so hard to hold back. He’s trembling as though his body is rejecting he sound coming out of his mouth, and when he finishes he can only pitifully hang his head.

“I will not kill you, Hatteras,” I say.

“Then I don’t think you understand the situation,” he says. “Allow me to state it plainly, then: if you do not shoot me, I will slit your friend’s throat.”


	61. My Role in Your Story

l stare at Hatteras and his eerie smile, wishing I could go back to his expressionless face.

“What do you hope to get out of this?” I ask.

“I should think it’s rather obvious, Professor.”

“You really, truly want to die?”

“And why wouldn’t I? Try to see things from my point of view,” he says. “What are my options now?”

“You can live, Captain!”

“Live HOW?” his voice rings out through the warehouse, and for once I’m the one covering my ears. “Live where?! Back in that concrete cage, behind walls, never to see the sights of hear the glorious wind of the North?! To live, day to day, separated from all of that?!”

I’m not experienced enough for this. Hatteras is clearly in a mental state that I can’t begin to touch. But what can I do? 

Nothing. I can’t do anything.

I reach into my pocket, keeping my eyes on Hatteras.

“What are you planning to do, Professor? Is that where your aether transmitter is?”

My fingers twitch.

“Go ahead and call them, if you want. You’ll probably need help carrying your friend out of here after you’ve killed me.”

“There has to be another way,” I say.

“There isn’t,” he says. “And even if your friends came... what could they hope to do? I don’t think any of them would put my life above this boy’s.”

He shrugs, tilting his head as if he’s weighing the options. “Hm... no. I want this to be just the two of us, Professor. Quiet, desperate, a beautiful ending to my role in your story-- the one to finally see the heroine’s hands stained with blood! Pauline Aronnax, you are the only one I will allow to kill me!”

Before he can laugh again, I narrow my eyes and take a step forward, faltering only when Hatteras moves the knife dangerously close to Conseil’s jugular.

“There has to be a reason for you to live, Captain,” I say. “Isn’t there anything that you love?”

“Love?” Hatteras’ face twists. “Yes, there are things that I love. You plan on taking me away from them, for the most part...”

His voice drops into a murmur I can barely hear. “... and... the one that already left... how pathetic of me, to let it affect me so much...”

“Hatteras?”

Hatteras suddenly doubles his grip on Conseil, holding the knife so tightly that his knuckles are white. “Do it! You have no choice, Professor! Even if you let your friend die, I will take my own life afterwards! So, what’ll it be? How many people will die here: one or two?!”

I look at the gun at my feet. It’s colder and blacker than any metal I’ve seen before. It holds none of the passion that I love, it’s just... a weapon.

It has no heart.

I bend down and pick it up, trembling when I hear Hatteras’ quiet laughter, light and airy like the wind he misses.

This thing has the power to kill someone. I’ve fired a gun before, but... the average person never really has to think about it: in my hands, I’m holding the power to end someone’s life.

It makes my stomach turn as I look at Hatteras, who’s begun gently swaying like a tree in a storm.

“I’m a beginner shot,” I say in a shaking voice. “I might hit Conseil.”

“We don’t want that...” Hatteras’ voice goes back to its quiet volume, likely because he realizes that I’m beginning to cooperate. He bends down and lays Conseil out on the floor in front of him, taking a moment to smooth out his shirt before standing back up.

“Better, Professor?”

I shake my head.

“Hatteras, I don’t care about being a good or bad person,” I’m doing all I can to keep my voice steady. “All I want to do is study biology. That’s all.”

“Then pull the trigger,” he replies. 

Hatteras looks at the knife at his hand and then looks back down at Conseil.

He’s really going to do it.

I watch as Hatteras turns his blade so it’s pointed towards my friend, like he’s an animal ready to be butchered.

I put my finger on the trigger and pull.

But before my shaking finger can complete the movement, a long shadow sails over my head. I barely have a moment to stumble back and look up at the harpoon arcing through the air before it crashes by Hatteras, sending him toppling to the floor.

I turn around to see a large shadow standing, outlined by the door.

“Leave the professor... and my sweetheart.... alone!”

“Ned!” I cry joyfully as he lumbers in.

He moves quickly towards me and puts a hand on my head, as if he’s gauging that I’m actually there. When I appear alive enough, he nods in satisfaction before walking over and kneeling down next to Conseil.

Hatteras slowly begins to rise, but Ned grabs him by the face, digging his fingers into the slighter man’s skin.

Hatteras doesn’t even flinch, staring at Ned coldly.

“For some reason, the professor wants to keep you alive, pretty boy,” says Ned. “But if my sweetheart’s gone, you’re going to wish she had let me kill you.”

Hatteras tries to speak, but his voice is muffled by Ned’s palm.

“Shut up,” Ned shoves Hatteras back, and he skids along the floor like he weighs nothing.

I pick up the knife that Hatteras dropped and pocket it, eager to keep it away from Hatteras.

“How is Conseil?” I ask.

“Looks like he has a big bump formin’ on his head, but... he’s breathin’ normal. We gotta get him back, I’m sure Carmen--”

“Cardia.”

“-- can patch him up.”

“Can you get him?” I ask, casting my gaze over to Hatteras. “I think I’ll have my hands full.”

“Want me to just clock him over the head like he did my sweetheart?”

“Ned Laaaaaaaaand--!! And, and... my Polly-chaaaan....”

Nemo’s standing in the doorway now, trying his best to look intimidating and not like he’s about to keel over after running a marathon. He’s wheezing pretty badly.

“Ha! Looks like it’d be easy to kill you after all!” Ned grins. “Just had to make you run a lot!”

Nemo shakes his head as he stumbles in, surveying the scene. When his eyes land on me, he lopes over and wraps his arms around me, sinking his head into my shoulder.

“Aaaaaaaaaah, I’m so glad that buffoon made it in time! Looks like being brawny can have its uses after aaall....”

He squeezes me tight to him. “Shame I didn’t get any of the glory, but... I’m glad... so glad...”

I smile and hug him back. “I’m fine. I’m just relieved that nobody had to die.”

When we look up, we see Ned pick Conseil up in his arms and stand up.

“I’m taking him back to Claudia--”

“Cardia,” Nemo and I speak in unison.

“-- Right. Think you two can handle pretty boy over there?”

I look over at Hatteras, who hasn’t moved from where Ned shoved him.

“Yeah, we’ll be following you soon,” I say.

Nemo gives Ned a thumbs up, which makes Ned blinks a few times in confusion. Then, he smiles and returns one of his own.

Nemo’s eyebrows twitch, and the two of them stand there with their thumbs up at one another.

“Right, see you back at the ship!” Ned saunters out of the warehouse.

As soon as his shadow moves out of my sight, the hair on the back of my neck prickles at an awful sound.

Metal grating on metal.

I slowly turn around to see Hatteras drawing the sword hanging from his hip, the tattered flag of Great Britain falling to the floor in a forgotten heap.

“You shouldn’t have come here, prince,” Hatteras says, his voice sharp like he’s trying to hold back his emotions. “Things would have worked out much... much better for you if you and your friends had stayed behind and let the professor kill me--!”

“Kill you? The professor?” Nemo turns his head towards me and tilts it. “... Hee hee... you really think she’d be able to do it...?”

“Dakkar!!!” the name rips through Hatteras’ throat. “I am going to kill you...!”

Nemo cracks his neck and sighs dramatically before pulling a small handful of bombs from his pocket.

“I’m sooooo tired of hearing that naaaame...” he moans. “I’m going to need you to go night-night for a bit, okaaaay~? Tch, it’d be so much easier to leave you here to die, but Impeeey--”

Nemo’s words are cut off when Hatteras suddenly runs forward with a surprising amount of speed. All Nemo can do is yelp and sway to the side, narrowly missing the rusted blade.

“Nemo!” I try to rejoin him, but Hatteras grabs my arm and throws me back.

I expect to crash into the wall, but instead someone catches me.

Someone...

When I open my eyes, I see both Nemo and Hatteras looking at me with shocked expressions.

Then, Hatteras steps forward.

“J... Jimmy... you’re still here...”

Jimmy?

I feel like I’ve been thrown into icy water as I slowly look down at the gloved hands gripping my arms reassuringly. Tenderly. Like a grandfather might.

“Oh, my. What sort of event have I stumbled in on?”

I know I will hear that laughter in my nightmares for the rest of my life... that laugh, that soft, warm laugh...

“Aleister...” I whisper through grit teeth.


	62. Criminal

Hatteras and Aleister.

One with a rusted sword in his trembling hands, the other one holding me like a pillar of comfort.

One so much more dangerous than the other, and you would never know.

“My, what a scene to interrupt,” Aleister says with a warm laugh. “Jonathan, aren’t you being awfully rowdy?”

“Jimmy...” Hatteras begins to move towards Aleister, but a look from the older man makes him shrink back.

“Are you all right, Aronnax-kun?” He leans down so I can see him, gray-blonde hair brushing my cheek.

“I’m fine,” is my simple reply. I shift and begin to walk away, but Aleister’s hand curls on my shoulder just enough to keep me in place.

“Aleisteeeer...”

Nemo’s voice cuts through the panic beginning to chill my body.

“I’m surprised you haven’t left yet. You’re usually preeeeetty good at picking up when things are going south, hmmm?”

“You’re right, Nemo-kun,” replies Aleister. “I’ll be leaving shortly, there’s just something I want to do first.”

Aleister moves his arms and leans forward as though he means to embrace me, a tall shadow that’s already cast so much darkness on my existence.

But it’s no embrace. That serpent-headed cane comes into my view, and two gloved hands quickly pull it apart to reveal a thin blade that makes my hair stand on end.

My body feels so heavy, fear is stopping me from moving...!

“Nemo-kun,” says Aleister.

“A-Aleister...?”

“I know how hard it is to lose a family,” Aleister continues.

Nemo, too, looks like he’s paralyzed.

“It was a firing squad, wasn’t it?”

That triggers something inside of Nemo, and he quickly reaches into his coat.

“Nemo-kun,” Aleister’s voice is sharp. “You’re too intelligent to risk an explosive in this situation, and you know that I’ve built an immunity to sleeping gases and the like.”

Nemo bites his lip, looking around helplessly. 

I shift, seeing him like this is--- but that metal feels cold, and it makes me whimper.

Even Hatteras’ face is twisted in confusion, his eyes darting from my neck to the blade and back to Nemo as if he’s trying to process what’s happening-- process, and figure out if it’s what he really wanted.

Of course, he was supposed to be dead when this scene played out...

“Nemo-kun, one of the things I regret is that I wasn’t able to meet you sooner,” says Aleister.

Nemo tilts his head, his voice tight. “W-What are you talking about...?”

Aleister sighs.

“Well, then. I’ll make sure it happens slowly this time, so that your mind will be better able process it. I want to see the shadows of that young man losing his home once again.”

Meeting him sooner.

Losing his home.

What Aleister plans to do is--!

I quickly raise my hands to push back against the cane, but Aleister’s strength makes my body as useless as paper.

The blade slowly dips into my skin, and I feel a wetness on my throat from a trickle of my own blood.

“A... aaaa....!”

At the sight of my blood, Nemo collapses to his knees with a scream that sounds like it will tear his throat apart.

It’s not just a scream for me.

As I watch his fingers twitch, digging into the cold metal, I know that he isn’t in Northernmost Base anymore.

“Pl-please...” Nemo’s voice is hoarse. “They’ve done nothing...”

He slumps forward, his hair covering his face as he balls his trembling hands into fists.

“I’m the one who did it all...”

It isn’t Nemo speaking.

“I’m the one who... who started the Mutiny-- it was all me--!! They did nothing, they did nothing...!!! So why-- why bring them into this?!”

He suddenly throws his head back, screaming at British soldiers that aren’t there.

“WHY ARE YOU PUNISHING THOSE WHO HAVE DONE NOTHING------?!?!”

All of this was so close to the surface all this time. The difference between 'as long as we can' and 'always' was a mere drop of blood.

The memories that Aleister is making him relive makes my eyes burn with tears. An empire that makes a husband and father beg, plead, try to make sense of it all... as his family is the one punished in his stead.

To make him go through all of that again is abhorrent!

I begin to struggle with all my might, slamming my boot into Aleister’s shoe.

It does nothing.

Aleister doesn’t move, his blade doesn’t even tremble. It presses closer to me, cutting off the cry rising in my throat.

Nemo.

He has to remember where he is, who he has become--! How he lived, how he kept on living ever since that awful time!

None of us, save one, is enjoying this. Even Hatteras is staring down at Nemo-- no, Dakkar-- with wide eyes. The prince who stood against an empire, the figure of war that Hatteras wanted to face in combat... the truth in front of him is making him tremble.

None of us, save one-- the only one getting enjoyment out of this is Aleister. I can see his smile out of the corner of my eye. 

I’m able to tilt my head enough to see.

His dead, black eyes have a light inside of them now. A desire burning deep inside.

My ears are drumming with the echoes of explosions and something else thumping nearby. A far-off heartbeat.

Is Aleister truly the devil?

My mind swims as another bang interrupts these thoughts.

“Hey, hey! Woah, what’s with all the screaming?”

My mind feels groggy as that voice slowly registers in my mind: Impey Barbicane.

“Wha-- oh man!”

I hear the sound of Barbicane registering the reality of what’s happening.

“Don’t interrupt us,” says Aleister. “This blade is deep enough to kill her with a twitch of my hand. Not even a vampire is fast enough.”

“How--? You know what, I’m not going to ask. Anyway, Jimmy, can I call you Jimmy? Woah--!”

I wheeze as the blade is pulled back from my throat and swiped towards Barbicane. The quick removal makes me bleed even more, and I feel my legs go weak.

“Hey, hey, HEY!” Barbicane hobbles as he avoids Aleister’s strike (which really looks more like him swatting at a fly).

“My, criminal, it sounds like you’re being rather ungentlemanly.”

A clear voice, calm and thoughtful, comes from a transmitter in Barbicane’s hands.

Aleister’s hand twitches on my shoulder.

“... It can’t be...” he murmurs.

“Don’t tell me the thought never occurred to you,” says the voice. “Or do you think you’re conversing with a ghost right now?”

Aleister lets go of my shoulder and rigidly slides the blade back into his cane with a click.

Without his support, I begin to slump over.

Barbicane tosses the aether transmitter to Aleister before he dives towards me to catch me in his arms.

Aleister raises the transmitter to his lips, and I can hear him say in a voice that sounds almost loving: “Detective.”

He glances down at me, then at Nemo. Without so much as a tilt of his hat or a nod, he turns on his heels and briskly walks out of the warehouse.

From that last glance he gave me, it was clear that all interest in me had turned towards that voice on the other end of the transmitter. I doubt I will ever see him again.

With Aleister’s imposing presence gone, I feel light. So much lighter...

“Polly-chan, hang in there!”

Barbicane is above me, his appearance blurring and refocusing as he pulls off one of his gloves and pushes it against my throat.

I feel like, perhaps, I should be more afraid? I was so close to dying, and even though my throat wasn’t truly slit, I’m still losing a lot of blood.

I turn my head, ignoring Barbicane’s protests.

Nemo is still trembling, his features hidden behind his hair, fingers spasming as he tries to hold on to himself.

“Ne...”

“Nuh-uh, no way! You’re not moving!” Barbicane reaches into his pocket and pulls out another transmitter. “Cardia, we’re heading back your way! and we’ll need first aid! Disinfectant, bandages, all of it! Man, it’d be so much easier to treat her here, but this place is going up in smoke soon...!”

While Barbicane frets over me, I notice Hatteras looking down at Nemo. He tilts his head one way and then the next before looking down at the rusted sword in his hand.

Before my heartbeat can quicken, Hatteras sheathes it without a word.

“This is...” his voice has gone back to its usual volume, barely even a whisper. “... No victory for me.”

He kneels down next to Nemo and tries to search for his expression.

“I knew you were broken...” he continues. “But seeing it is different from hearing it. Aleister made it sound so beautiful. I suppose it was, to him.”

Nemo has no reaction, so Hatteras bends over and puts a hand on the other man’s back.

His lips part to take in a breath as he says a word, a name:

“....... Nemo.”

The scientist jolts like he had been hit by lightning, and slowly, jarringly, he turns his head to look at Hatteras.

“You are... Nemo... aren’t you?”

And a hoarse voice responds:

“I am the scientist who will shine the light of truth upon the world.”

Hatteras’ lips aren’t smiling, but a strange sort of relief comes over his eyes as he gingerly nods and puts his hands over his ears.

Nemo takes a deep breath, and though his voice is still tight with pain, it rings loud and true:

“NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE--MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO---!!!!”


	63. Final Fireworks

Cracks splinter like a spiderweb, the ice frantically convulsing under the weight of heat and fire.

I have a lovely view of it, propped up on a makeshift sickbed looking out the windows of the airship.

“From what you’re describing, it sounds like she’s stable. It might leave a bit of a scar, but her life isn’t in danger anymore.”

I turn my head to look at the aether transmitter resting next to Cardia. Frankenstein has been guiding her in treating both myself and Conseil, but really she’s been able to do most of it on her own.

She looks so determined, even as relief softens her expression.

“Thanks, Fran,” she says.

I brush my fingertipss against the bandage on my neck. Aleister knew what he was doing. It was clear from the cut on my neck that he meant to kill me slowly.

“Really, Dr. Frankenstein, thank you,” I echo Cardia’s words.

“I’m glad I could help from so far away,” says Frankenstein. “But, really, Cardia’s always been such a wonderful student. I have no doubt in my mind that she could have done it on her own.”

I smile at her.

“Still, it IS nice to have a calm voice nearby,” says Cardia.

As if on cue, Nemo’s laughter echoes from the higher decks of the ship.

“Ah...” Frankenstein’s voice trails off. “Yes, I imagine that’s been a rarity over there.”

“You could mute the transmission if it bothers you,” I say in a saccharine tone.

“Ah... I wasn’t...”

Cardia gives me a smack on the arm usually reserved for Nemo or Barbicane, and I smile sheepishly. “Sorry, Dr. Frankenstein.”

“Um, no, that’s, uh... that’s fine. You’d have no way of knowing.”

“Knowing what? Goodness, Doctor, he couldn’t have been THAT bad in the Royal Society!”

I can barely hear Frankenstein whisper, as if he’s re-living his own horror. “Oh. Yes. He was. He really, really was.”

Cardia picks up the aether transmitter with a smile. “We’ll be home soon, Fran. Can you tell the others we’re on our way?”

“Sure! It will be good to see you again, Cardia.”

“You too,” says Cardia.

As she cuts the connection, Barbicane runs in with a wide smile.

“The ships have shoved off! Cardia-chan, are you ready to join me at the helm?”

Cardia nods. “Yes, I am. Conseil and Pauline will be fine.”

We look over at Conseil, who’s been occupying himself by thumbing through the inventory logs. He’s working so hard that you wouldn’t be able to tell that he had been injured if it weren’t for the bandages on his head and cheek.

“Remarkable. If these records are correct, then it looks like you were able to get a great deal of Hatteras’ research on board,” he says.

“Thank Nemo for that one,” says Barbicane. “He must have retrieved it while getting the bombs set up. But, um...”

Barbicane rubs the back of his head. “Look, there is one thing we weren’t able to get on board, Polly-chan. I’m sorry... but the Harper’s gone. By the time we got to it, it just wasn’t there. It must’ve gotten dislodged in one of the blasts.”

“Dislodged, huh?” I look out the window.

“Aleister,” says Cardia.

I nod.

According to the deal Nemo and I originally made with Aleister, he would have the Harper after everything was done.

I guess he came to collect his prize, after all.

“Polly-chan... I’m sorry...”

I look over at Barbicane. He really means it, you can tell from the way his eyes are looking straight at me, warm and sympathetic.

He really is such a good person.

“I’ll be okay, Barbicane,” I say. “I’m disappointed, but... the most important part of that ship was the research conducted on it.”

I offer a smile. “And its crew, of course.”

“IMPEEEEEEEEEEEEEY BARBICAAAAAAAAAAAANE---!!”

The shout from the speakers is so loud that it makes the walls vibrate.

“I don’t know WHERE you have run off to, but since it seems you need REMINDING, I thought I would be thooooughtful and let you know-- THIS PLACE IS SET TO BLOW VERY SHORTLY, SO PLEASE GET OVER HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!”

Barbicane sighs. “Oy, Nemo, no need to pump up the drama! You have to push the button for the final blast to go off...”

“He seems to have a rather itchy trigger finger,” says Conseil.

“How is he, Barbicane?” I ask, my smile fading.

“Well, he’s been laughing a lot...” says Barbicane. “I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to be acting any different, but...”

“But...” I repeat.

He’s been throwing himself into this escape. He throws himself into all of his work, of course, but now it’s almost like his mind is groping to hold onto anything in order to stop himself from facing the memories Aleister dragged into the sunlight.

“Do you want to come to the bridge and see him?” asks Barbicane.

I awkwardly rub one of my arms, thinking about the last time I was on the bridge of a ship. The memory makes my stomach turn.

But this time, there is no Aleister. He’s long gone, sailing away in the Harper.

“I'll go.”

\---

“Professor.”

As Barbicane and I are walking towards the bridge, I hear a quiet voice prick at my ears.

There’s a gentle tap-tap-tap coming from the door to one of the storage rooms, and I sigh before looking over at Barbicane.

“Would you mind waiting for a moment? I should make sure he’s all right.”

I walk over and open the door, peering inside the dim room. 

At first, all I can see is hair.

“Captain?” I ask. “Are you sure you’re all right in here?”

“This is the best place for me,” replies Hatteras.

“... In a dark storage room?” I ask.

He nods.

“It’s quieter here, and I don’t have to watch my work go up in flames.”

“Nemo retrieved it,” I say. “He would never let a scientist’s work go to waste.”

“I’m not a scientist...” Hatteras mutters. “Besides, what good will it do for me now? I suppose if papers buy it, they can pay for a more comfortably padded cell. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to have a window with a view of London’s outer walls.”

“You are a scientist,” I correct him, though I’m not sure how I could respond to the rest of his statement. He needs help. “I... I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re comfortable, Captain,” is all I can manage.

Hatteras shakes his head. “Don’t bother. I could be in a palace and it wouldn’t be enough. I’ll never be able to go northward again...”

“Of course you’re going to be said if you keep on thinking like that!”

I look over my shoulder to see Barbicane.

“You just have to find a different way to look at it,” he continues.

“Oh, goody,” Hatteras’ voice is deadpan. “I get a pep talk from the famous...”

He pauses to take a breath: “Impeeeeey Barbicaaaaaane.”

“Yeah, keep on making jokes,” says Barbicane. “I like smiles, even if they’re at my expense.”

Hatteras is not smiling.

“Try to think about it like this, Hattie-chan. When you’re up here and the sky gets dark, what do you see?”

“Stars,” says Hatteras, his voice bored and flat.

Barbicane’s smile is tight as he says, “The moon. You see the moon up there! And, when it’s night in London, what do you see?”

“More stars,” Hatteras replies.

“THE MOON! YOU ALSO SEE THE MOON IN LONDON!”

Hatteras ducks his head when Barbicane raises his voice, and the engineer takes a deep breath.

“It’s the same sky, Hattie-chan,” he says in a quieter voice. “You might feel like you’re separated, but you’ll always be connected to the Arctic- through that same sky!”

Hatteras looks at Barbicane, who’s beaming like sunshine.

Then, he stands up and hobbles towards us, looking small and weak.

Without a word, he closes the door.

“Daaah! No effect?!” Barbicane’s eyes glaze over. “I thought I sounded so motivational, too!”

I give Barbicane a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

\-----

As soon as we enter the bridge, Nemo bounds over and gets up in Barbicane’s face.

“It’s not poliiiiiiiiiite to keep people waiting, you know!” Nemo wags a finger in his face.

“Sorry, sorry!” Barbicane holds up his hands in defense. “Polly-chan wanted to check in on Hattie-chan.”

Nemo sniffs. “So you decided to leave poor Nemo-chan by his lonesoooome...”

“D-Don’t call yourself that, it’s creepy!” Barbicane waves a hand.

“Hmph... if nobody eeeelse will call me that, then that leaves only myself!”

“Well, you have a fiancée. Maybe she could--”

Nemo gasps in horror. “No, nononooooo! Myyyyyy fiancéeeeeee should call me something like...”

He grins, looking in my direction, raising his voice’s pitch. “My most genius and spectacular darliiiiiiing!”

Barbicane and I stare at him.

Was that supposed to be an impression of me...?

Barbicane suddenly looks very tired as he pushes past the giggling scientist. “Come on. Let’s finish this up and head home, okay?”

I nod and begin to follow Barbicane when I feel a tugging at my sleeve.

I look over my shoulder at Nemo to see a smile so static that it could be plaster. It looks like it could crack at any minute, so I reach out to hesitantly touch the edge of his lips with my fingertip.

It’s the first time we’ve touched each other since Aleister.

Barbicane was frantic to get me to the ship as I bled, and Nemo was deliriously laughing, barely able to stand on his own feet.

Nemo isn’t laughing anymore, but... the way he’s holding himself together now is threadbare and could unravel at any moment.

“Something wrong?” he tilts his head, the sudden movement making me jump.

“No! Well, that’s not true. I suppose I’m just...” I shake my head We’re supposed to speak plainly to each other, so I do: “I’m worried about you. What happened back then was awful. I want to comfort you, but I don’t know how.”

Nemo tilts his head in the opposite direction, and his smile droops a little bit... not in a bad way, but in a way that makes it look more genuine.

“I’m aaaaalways up for a hug.”

I pull him into my arms, wrapping my hands around his waist and squeezing him tight.

He’s the same but, somehow, he feels fragile. Tired. Like all the pieces of himself that he had pasted back together over the years fell in a crumbled heap.

“What else can I do?” I ask.

“Hee hee... what else could you do?” I pull back and look up at him.

“This isn’t a laughing matter, Nemo.”

“I mean it,” he says. “What else COULD you do?”

My eyes widen as he takes one of my hands and places it on the top of his head. “You can’t get inside here to rip out the hippocampus and take the bad memories with it...”

He moves my hand lower, to his hip, and places it over one of his bombs. “You cooooould go after Aleister, but... I wouldn’t let you. I don’t need you doing that for me.”

He moves my hand back up to his chest, letting it rest over the pretty ship’s wheel that decorates his heart. “What you COULD do is what you ARE doing, Pauline. You’re... here.”

“Here...” I trace the outline of the wheel. “Is that really all I can do?”

Nemo smile turns rueful.

“There is one more thing,” he says. “Just... remember this. Memories, history, whatever you want to call it-- I’ve had it way waaaaay before Aleister, before I met you, before I even met Isaac-senseeeei... s-sometimes, it just...”

He looks like he’s trying to put it into words.

“Sometimes, things make you remember. And, when you remember, you miiiiight lose a bit of a grip on yourself. But, as poooowerful as those emotions are, they don’t change who you are. You just might need a bit of something like lavender oil, hmmmm?”

I feel my cheeks flush, and he pats me on the head.

“You can’t make it go away, Polly-chan. You won’t ever be able to do that. Sooooo...” he flashes me a golden smile. “Stop woooorrying about it and focus on things like love! And science, of course! With meeeeeee!!”

I look away, but can’t stop myself from laughing when he pinches one of my cheeks affectionately.

“You know, you’re being awfully coherent after going through all that,” I say.

Nemo giggles and pinches my other cheek, squishing my lips together so I look like a fish.

“Thaaaaaaaaaank you, really, it’s the traumaaaaa! Oh!” Nemo suddenly stands straight, which is a bigger deal than it sounds. It reminds me of just how tall he is, almost as tall as Impey. “That reminds me!”

“W-What reminds you? The trauma?” my eyes widen.

“Huuuuuhh? No, nononono! This is a good thing!” his goggles glint as a wide smile crosses his face. “Once we lift off, I have something to show you!”

“But—” he cuts off my protest with a kiss, holding my shoulders to stop me from pulling back. He isn’t taking any protest or pleading or even any noise except the hum of my surprise turning into contentment.

Both of us are gulping in mouthfuls of air when he releases me.

“IIIII looooove yoooou!” he manages to get out between breaths. “Let’s go light up this place!”

\-----

“Hey, engine room, time for the final check!” Barbicane looks towards one of the speakers on the wall of the bridge with a smile.

“We’re good, chief!” Smith’s confident voice rings out.

“Excellent! Ned-chan, how’s the base?”

“100% empty! We turned that place inside-out, there’s nobody left!”

“Yahoo! Glad to hear it! Cardia-chan, how are the evacuee ships looking?”

“The ships have reached the safety border that we determined during planning,” says Cardia. “They won’t be affected by the blast.”

“Perfect, my angel!” Barbicane beams. “Okay, time for the final final check! Nemo, how are the explosives?”

“Ehehe… hehehe… heheheheaaAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!” Nemo’s laughter rings loudly across the bridge, and Barbicane sighs.

“Nemo, I need a ‘yes’, my guy.”

“Yes! Ready! Perfect! True, true art just ready to blossoooom--!”

“Good enough!” Barbicane takes his place at the ship’s wheel. “Preparations are ready! Let’s set a course for London-! Santa Claus, this is for you! ENGINES, START--!”

“Santa Claus...?” my confusion is interrupted as the airship shifts and begins to rise.

A thought crosses my mind as I feel the steel beneath my feet separate from the safety of the surface below it.

That thought is: Why did I think being on the bridge would be a good idea?!

The metal hangar slowly recedes to never-ending blue, and my stomach drops with it.

My legs are shaking, I can’t move. I suddenly feel weak.

“Don’t lock your knees~!” A hand grips my waist, keeping me up when I feel myself slipping.

I look up and over to see Nemo, grinning... almost heroically. Then, to my surprise, he pushes his goggles up onto his forehead and gives me a wink.

“Locking your knees cuts off blood circulation, daaaarling! You really will faint if you keep it up!”

A little dazed by both vertigo and his beauty, all I can do is lean into the crook of his arm and accept his support. “Th... thank you.”

As wispy clouds come into view, I nervously wrap my fingers into Nemo’s sweater.

“I really thought I would’ve been over this by now,” I sigh.

Nemo runs his fingers up my side and threads them through my hair before giving me a kiss on the temple. “Patieeeeence...”

“Oy, Nemo, don’t at least 75% of your problems come from the fact that you’re too impatient to wait for proper results?” Barbicane calls over his shoulder.

“It’s called character development, Impeeeey Barbicaaaane!”

“Hey! The height doo-hickey is saying that we’re up high enough to set the bomb off!” Ned’s voice calls out.

Nemo gives a moment of silence for the word ‘altitude’ before looking at the switch in his free hand.

“Don’t look at me,” I say, shaking my head. “One explosion is enough for me.”

“Ohhh no, this one is aaaaall mine!” Nemo says with a giggle.

We’re so high now that we can clearly see the remains of Northernmost Base.

“This last blast will be the most spectacular! It will wipe this place compleeeetely clean and sink the base to the bottom of the sea!”

“ ... In a single day and night of misfortune... the island of Atlantis... disappeared in the depths of the sea,” I murmur Plato’s words.

Nemo looks at me out of the corner of his eyes before shaking his head with a laugh and flicking his goggles back down over his eyes.

Then, he quickly dips me and plants a kiss on my lips before pulling me back up and spinning me away towards the window.

I suck in my breath at suddenly having my vision filled with the far-off ground. In the next moment, Nemo’s cackle punctuates a beautiful ball of fire rising from the communications tower below us. Then, like a lit Christmas wreath, smaller fireballs light up around the perimeter.

Fountains of water begin to erupt from beneath the ice, and I cover my mouth as I watch the entire base, already ravaged by explosions, pitch and buckle.

Nemo wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder, humming contentedly as the ice carrying Northernmost Base tilts and breaks. The remaining buildings slide downward and crash, one by one into the sea.

By the time our airship begins to turn away, all that remains of Northernmost Base are a few shadows beneath the water.

\-----

“Close your eyes!”

“Nemo, we’re really high in the air, I just saw a huge explosion, and an entire base got swallowed by the ocean. I’m a little jumpy, so I’d rather keep my eyes open.”

“Mmmm... noted!”

Nemo plucks my glasses off of my nose and quickly replaces them with his goggles.

“Blurry will have to suffice, then!” he giggles and takes me by the shoulders, leading me down the halls of the ship. I really can’t see much like this, just steel and blue.

Come to think of it, maybe I should have closed my eyes. Too late now, it’s the principle of the matter!

My head is beginning to throb from the difference in his lenses when he finally stops in front of one of the storage doors.

“In here!” he opens the door and gestures for me to enter. When I don’t move fast enough, he shoves me inside.

I pull his goggles off and rub my eyes, letting them adjust to the dim light.

I still can’t see as well, but that shape in front of me is so distinct...

“Nemo, is that...?”

He steps in front of me and puts my glasses back on before looking back over his shoulder.

“Yeah. I thought you might miss it.”

I don’t know how he did it, but looming in front of me is the narwhal skeleton that I was so fascinated with back at Northernmost Base.

I hesitantly reach out to touch the pedestal it rests on before looking back at Nemo. “How did you...? When? I... I can’t believe it...!”

I stare up at it, as perfect here as it was before.

“Weeeell... you never did get to see your narwhals at the North Pole, so...” Nemo idly kicks one of his feet, trying to look bashful. The grin stretched across his face gives him away.

That impish grin, the way he’s looking at me expectantly, Nemo really is a miracle of a scientist.

“Nemo!!” I throw my arms around his neck, burying my head into his shoulder. “I love you...!!!”

Nemo giggles as he braces himself against the might of my hug. “Thought you might enjoy it.”

“Nemo... we’re finally returning home,” I say. “I don’t know where we’ll fit this, but I know we’ll find a way!”

“Home, huh...” Nemo sighs, his grin turning into a gentler smile. “Do you really think it will work out so cleanly? Victoria, after all...”

My stomach turns, but the memory of the Count of Saint Germain’s charismatic smile gives me some comfort.

“Don’t worry about Victoria,” I shake my head. “We’re returning Impey and Cardia back to London. She won’t stand a chance.”

Nemo cups my cheek in his hand, looking at me evenly.

“So optimiiiistic...” he whispers. “And what if you’re wrong? What if we have to do this aaaall over again?”

I put my hand over his.

“Then we’ll just have to go on another adventure, won’t we? I bet Lincoln Island is lovely this time of year.”

Nemo looks from me over to the narwhal, his lips drooping in contemplation.

“What is it?” I ask, following his line of vision.

“Hmmm... I was just wondering if I should cover that thing’s eyes before I kiss you.”

“How fanciful of you!” I say with a laugh.

“Says the one quoting Atlantis,” he snorts.

But he looks so gentle and happy as he looks back at me, and my entire body relaxes when he kisses me.


	64. The Return to Steel London

"I see.”

Queen Victoria sets her teacup down, the ‘clink’ of porcelain masking a chuckle. “You two have made your points very clear. But I can’t help but wonder, why go to all this trouble...?”

“This is no trouble for me, Your Majesty.” Aouda sits, tall and proud, across from the Queen. Next to her is the Count of Saint Germain- his pleasant smile a stark contrast to Aouda’s serious expression.

“I came to Buckingham Palace to see that my kinsman’s memory would not be sullied. I will repeat my story as often as necessary to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Dakkar, son of the Raja of Bundelkhand and descendant of the Tipu Sahib, was killed by British soldiers.”

Aouda’s frown deepens as she picks up her own cup of tea, one that had hardly been touched. “The very thought that his identity could be muddled with this whackjob scientist’s...”

“Now, now, Miss Aouda,” Saint casts his smile towards his companion. “We’ve discussed how this mistake happened. I’m certain that Her Majesty has all of the information she needs to make sure that the right information is presented.”

He smiles towards the Queen, who smiles right back at him.

In truth, Aouda had very little to do with the negotiation. Saint Germain and Victoria had already spoken for many days by the time Aouda was invited to tea. She is playing a role, presenting the backdrop to a story that will make a lie believable. Aouda is as aware of this as the other two, but none of them say it.

It’s all a charade to clear Nemo’s name. A charade that, thanks to the Count’s influences, will benefit Britain for years to come.

There are no losers in this deal, no lambs to slaughter, and in the end Queen Victoria nods.

“Very well, then. Count, Lady Aouda, I will make an official statement clearing Nemo of any involvement in the Indian Rebellion, as well as ensuring that his identity is not tied with former Indian nobility.”

A smile plays at her lips. “Will that suffice?”

“You are indeed quite generous, Your Majesty. It has been a pleasure sharing tea with you these past few weeks,” replies Saint.

\-----

Outside of Buckingham Palace, Aouda lets out a sigh she had been keeping through the entire tea party.

“You were very brave, Miss Aouda,” says Saint.

“I must admit, meeting British royalty was never high on my list of to-dos,” Aouda says with a shrug. “But you were really the man of the hour, Count. My family and I will never be able to thank you for all that you have done.”

“Your family has brought my family safely back to London,” replies Saint. “I was simply returning the favor.”

“Oh? Is that all?” Aouda finally lets a smile cross her lips as an automobile pulls up.

“How did the meeting with Her Majesty go?” Arsène Lupin casually leans over the side, a dashing smile on his face.

“Just about as expected,” Saint replies with a smile. “It would seem that France has been pressuring Victoria quite a bit. The aristocracy had something to do with it, I’m sure, but...”

“Hehe, don’t underestimate the common people!” Lupin opens the car door with a flourish. “Humanity just can’t resist a good love story.”

He holds out a hand to help Aouda climb into the automobile, but she hesitates when she sees something in the backseat.

It looks to be a pile of blankets, but it’s definitely... vibrating?

“... Hee hee hee...”

Aouda’s eyes widen for a split second before a boot emerges from the pile.

Then, the blankets are swept back and the owner of the boot lays looking up at Aouda with a metallic grin.

“I’ve missed yoooooouu!!”

“Nemo--!” Aouda yelps as he leaps up and yoinks her into the automobile.

“How?! When--?!” Aouda’s sputtering questions are cut off by a multitude of hugs from her overly affectionate cousin.

Lupin looks over the back seat with a pitying smile. “The airship touched down while you and Saint were meeting with the Queen. Really surprised us, too.”

Nemo’s rubbing his cheek into Aouda’s, humming happily. “It’s so good to be back in Londooooon...!” His happy musings are cut short, however, when Aouda smacks him upside the head.

“I can’t believe you! Do you even realize where we are? Victoria hasn’t made the proclamation yet-- and what if she hadn’t agreed to in the first place? You put yourself in great danger coming out here! For a genius, you really can act like a nincompoop!”

Nemo sinks down past the seat and into the leg space, still grinning. “It’s been so looooong, I couldn’t wait to see you, Aouda deaaaar!!”

“You’re so incredibly lucky that the Count got through to her!”

Aouda continues her scolding, but at the mention of ‘the Count’, Nemo’s smile twists into an angry grimace.

“Count... that... Apostleeeeeeeeee...!!!”

He wrenches himself off of the floor and looks towards Saint with a snarl-- only for it to vanish when the fashionably-dressed Apostle of Idea is nowhere to be seen.

“Eh?” Nemo’s face droops in confusion as he looks around. Finally, he looks at the Gentleman Thief idly tapping his fingertips on the wheel.

“Lupiiiiiin, where did he gooooooo?”

Lupin lets out a charming laugh. “A gentleman never reveals his companion’s secrets!”

“Gentlemen cannot be gentlemen when it comes to science! I must knoooow! For Isaac-sensei’s memoryyyyy!!”

“Fine, fine, if it’ll get you to quiet down,” Lupin wags his finger at Nemo. “He vanished while none of us were looking. It’s M-A-G-I-C.”

Nemo stares at Lupin blankly before sinking back into the seat. “I should have known better than to consult with fools.”

“You’re too kind!” Lupin puffs his chest out before stepping on the gas.

“I still can’t believe you risked coming out here...” Aouda sighs as the automobile begins to drive away from the Palace. “Where’s your better half? She certainly would never have agreed to this.”

“Hee hee, you mean the one who agreed to wear my riiiiiiing?”

Aouda looks over at Nemo. “You mean... engagement ring?”

Nemo pulls off his glove with a flourish and moves his hand so that his ring gives off a dull gleam. “Ta-daaaaaa! Your cousin is proooooudly engaged to the very brightest mind of marine biology--! And you’re right, she probably would have protested. But, ignorance can be bliss even for geniuses! She’s out and about right now getting a friend settled into his new abode, hee hee!”

“Right, so he forced himself on me,” Lupin mutters from the front seat.

“Aw, I think it’s been a good booonding experience!”

Nemo leans over the front seat and pokes Lupin's cheek. “After all, I owe a great deal to you, Gentleman Thief!”

“O-Oy, don’t prod at me like that, you’ll make me lose control!”

“Nemo, get back in your seat!” Aouda tries to grab Nemo by his coat, but he panics and digs his fingers into the front seat, letting out a shriek of surprise.

Lupin regrets everything.

\-----

“Thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice, Doctor...”

“Watson,” the man standing before me gives a confident smile. “John H. Watson.”

He looks around the lobby we’re standing in as though he’s examining it. “Though I don’t normally visit this place, I’m better with scrapes and bruises and the like...”

He rubs the back of his neck before he looks down at the sullen man sitting in one of the chairs.

Hatteras doesn’t even give Dr. Watson a glance.

“Can you hear me?” Dr. Watson puts on a smile that would charm the fussiest toddler. “I look forward to working with you, Jonathan--”

“Captain,” he replies. “Captain... or, if you’re insistent on being informal, Hatteras.”

I look over at Hatteras. “That’s the most you’ve spoken since we’ve landed.”

Hatteras matches my stare, his lips drawn thin. “I’m staying here... so it should be comfortable...”

“Now we’re talking!” Dr. Watson pulls over a chair and sits across from Hatteras. “I definitely want you to be comfortable here, so what can we do for you?”

“Quiet,” says Hatteras. 

Dr. Watson shuts his mouth, looking at Hatteras curiously.

“I want... quiet,” Hatteras continues. “Silence. Silence, and... I want to be able to see the night sky.”

Hatteras shifts in his seat so he can’t see me.

“I want to see the moon at night.”

I also look away so that he doesn’t see the smile reaching my lips. Barbicane would be glad if he knew.

“Whew! You looked so intense, I thought you would ask for something crazy!” Dr. Watson sits back in his chair with a warm laugh. “That shouldn’t be a problem at all!”

“Noisy already,” Hatteras’ words are sharp. “Fine, but there is one more thing.”

Dr. Watson smiles an apology before nodding for Hatteras to continue.

“This close friend of yours...”

Hatteras suddenly looks up, the white of his teeth glinting behind long strands of hair. “It’s him, isn’t it?”

“Huh? It’s who?” Dr. Watson blinks a few times.

“It’s him, the voice on the transmitter... this friend of yours.”

His eyes are glinting with an interest I never thought I would see outside of the North Pole.

“This friend of yours is the love of Jimmy’s life, isn’t he?”

“... Huh?”

\-----

When Dr. Watson and I leave the room, Hatteras is sitting quietly in a chair looking out the window, a blanket tucked over his knees.

“He sees people as stories,” I say. “I don’t know how to explain it... but I’m glad that there’s something here that interests him, at least.”

“Stories, huh?” Dr. Watson shrugs. “I won’t pretend to even understand what he’s talking about. Hatteras doesn’t look like the kind of guy who would appreciate it, anyway.”

“You’re right,” I say before I turn to him. “Thank you, Doctor, and thank you to your close friend... whoever he is. I promise I will visit Hatteras often to check on him.”

“He means a lot to you, doesn’t he, miss?” asks Dr. Watson.

“I couldn’t say,” I answer honestly. “I suppose I feel... a little responsible for him. Not quite like he’s a brother, but...”

Dr. Watson laughs. “Most people would call that ‘friendship’!”

I smile. “I suppose they would.”

\-----

The Count of Saint Germain’s mansion is practically glowing like a beacon of rest for weary travelers.

And, my goodness, am I ever weary!

Ever since the airship landed, it’s been nonstop motion. We were barely on the ground when Cardia was practically barreled over by a group of men, out of whom I only recognized Dr. Frankenstein.

After Cardia introduced me to them, one by one, I find that I’ve met almost the entirety of the Lupin Gang- except the man himself.

But now, as I’m walking towards the mansion, I see a charming man in a top hat who fits the description perfectly.

“You must be the famous Lupin,” I say with a tired smile.

The dark-haired man sweeps his top hat offf his head and gives me a low bow at the waist. “And you must be the Bride of Science herself, Pauline Aronnax!”

It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve heard the nickname that I find myself laughing at it. “You really are proud of the nickname you’ve given me, aren’t you? Well, I can’t say I mind it... Nemo and I owe you a lot, gentleman thief.”

“Any friend of my lady’s is a friend of mine,” says Lupin. “And I know that going on your adventure helped her realize her own feelings, too. Impey’s a fantastic guy, I have no doubt he’ll make her the happiest girl in all of London.”

Lupin is looking off into the distance nostalgically, and when I look in the same direction I see the moon hanging high in the sky.

“Well, that’s enough of that!” Lupin gives me a smile. “You must be starving, right? You haven’t eaten until you’ve had a meal with the Lupin Gang!”

“I’m more tired than hungry, to be honest,” I say with a sigh. Still, it would be rude to pass up their hospitality, so I let Lupin usher me into the mansion.

\-----

“Woof woof!”

I quickly step aside as Sisi, as charmingly dressed as ever, runs past us. Next is a young boy that I don’t recognize, and finally Cyrene Smith bounding after them both.

“It’s good to see Smith being able to get some of her energy off,” I say.

“Delly doesn’t usually warm up to people too quickly, I guess they’re connecting as dog lovers...” Lupin muses.

“Oh! Professor!” A moment after I hear her voice, Smith comes running back up to me. “Glad to catch you, I wanted to say goodbye before I shove off.”

“Shove off?”

“Yeah! Unlike you all I didn’t go on this voyage by choice... I have a lot of work waiting for me. And now that I know who’s actually loyal and who’s still a lapdog for Aleister... we’re really going to take Lincoln Island back. Then, I’m going to turn the island into a paradise for all the sciences! I’ve already started having some interested parties reach out to me-- one’s even been writing about trying to journey to the center of the earth!”

“My, and I thought a transcontinental voyage under the sea was ambitious,” I say with a smile.

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Professor!” Smith pumps her fist excitedly. Then, her smile falters as she stares at me and takes a step forward.

With a gulp, she bends down and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

Lupin lets out a low whistle, and Smith practically jumps back, the color drained from her face.

“No disrespect meant for you or sensei!” she shakes her head. “It just... felt right, that’s all.”

I put a hand to my cheek and give her soft smile. “Thank you, Smith.”

“A-All right, then!” Smith turns around. “Gotta make my rounds, then it’s time to set sail!”

She stomps triumphantly down the hall, and I watch her until she turns a corner and disappears from my sight.

...

“Quite an interesting bunch you know, Miss Aronnax,” says Lupin.

“An interesting bunch?” I turn towards him. “You’re one to talk.”

I hear a loud crash coming from the other room, and I gesture to it.

“That very well could have been your interesting bunch,” replies Lupin.

I pause.

“V-Van?!” I hear Barbicane’s voice. “No way, I’m doing the cooking! Why don’t you go talk with the others? I got it, really!”

I look back at Lupin with an ‘I-told-you-so’ eyebrow quirk. Then, I straighten up. “That reminds me. When Barbicane rescued us from Aleister, there was a voice on the aether transmitter that I had never heard before. Another member of your ‘interesting bunch’?”

“Oh, you must mean the Great Detective himself, Herlock Sholmès,” Lupin frowns, and I can practically see steam rising from his head. “I don’t enjoy dealing with him, but apparently he knows that Aleister fellow. Saint asked him to contact me.”

“The Count,” I laugh lightly. “Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised. He always seemed to be three steps ahead of me. I doubt I would have made it back to London without his help.”

“He’s a good friend,” Lupin’s smile returns now that the subject has shifted. “Possibly the most interesting of my interesting bunch!”

“VIIIIIIIIIIICTOR…. FRANKEEEEEEEEEENSTEIN!!”

“Oh, speaking of ‘the most interesting’ of our respective parties,” Lupin looks on apologetically as Dr. Frankenstein suddenly bursts into the room and walks quickly past us. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a man move that fast.

“Cover for me—” is all we hear through his clenched teeth before the door shuts behind him.

A moment later, Nemo comes bounding into the room with a happy grin on his face.

“Ahh…? Where did my esteemed rival gooooo?”

“I’m afraid you just missed him,” Lupin says with a shrug. “He was saying something about ‘delicate testing’. He probably should be left alone right now.”

“Oooohhhh!!” Nemo’s practically bouncing now. “If he’s performing EXPERIMENTS, I simply should heeeelllpp--!!!!”

“Woah, woah, Nemo!” Lupin steps in front of him, shaking his head gravelly. “You should know best of all…”

He puts a hand on Nemo’s shoulder. “Some tests can’t have outside interference! If you go there now, poor Fran might have weeks of work lost!”

Nemo gasps and puts a hand to his mouth in horror. “I…. I could never…!!”

…..

He… he really does get played easily, doesn’t he? I feel a little bad.

But, now that Nemo’s here, I can ask: “Nemo, did… did anything happen with Queen Victoria?”

He turns to me and stares for a moment before putting his hand over his heart.

“Alaaaaaaaas…”

At that word, I stop breathing.

“Alaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas….!!!”

He suddenly throws his head back, dramatically crying out: “She begged and PLEADED for me to return to the Royal Society! It seems the place has been in shambles without my guuuiiiiiiding light!”

What.

“What.” Lupin’s voice matches my thoughts.

“Buuuuut, no matter how much she may beg! I will never, neeeeeeever sully my brilliance by allowing it to be bridled by—”

“Miss Aouda and Saint had tea with Her Majesty earlier today,” Lupin nods towards me. “She’s officially acknowledging that Nemo’s not any kind of lost prince. He’s just a whackjob scientist.”

“Oh, Nemo, that’s wonderful!” before Nemo can protest his unfortunate nickname, I throw my arms around him and hug him tight. “I told you they would come through, I told you!”

I feel Nemo lean into me and gently pet my head. “You did, didn’t you? Well, don’t let it get to your head, now…”

He steps back and tilts my chin up, looking at me with a surprisingly soft smile. “Science has no boundaries, no limits. Nothing can stop us from…”

As Nemo’s lips close over mine, I hear Lupin clear his throat. “Right, well, I’ll leave you two to conduct your science. I’d better check on Impey—”

“IMPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!” Nemo leaps up, smacking my nose in the process. “That’s what I meant to tell you all aloooooooooong! Dinner’s reeeeeaaaaaaaaady!”

I nod, one hand holding my nose and the other hand giving him a thumbs up.

Dinner consists of sandwiches and front-row seats to a bunch of grown men (plus a boy and a dog) trying to monopolize Cardia.

“Hey! HEY! She’s my girlfriend, you guys, give her some space!” Barbicane protests.

The various members of the Lupin Gang look at one another.

“… She was stuffed in that little submarine,” Finis says with the sigh. “It’s the only explanation I can think of.”

“Maybe the difference in pressure got to her,” continues Van Helsing.

“Or maybe she wasn’t getting enough air…” Delacroix II pipes up.

“Oh, my my,” the Count’s crystalline laugh punctuates their words. “Aren’t you being a little unfair, now?”

“Y-Yeah, seriously…” Barbicane looks a little deflated.

Cardia looks around at the chatter before standing up in her seat.

“Impey’s right,” she says.

“C-Cardia-chan--?!” Barbicane looks over at her with red cheeks.

“Impey’s right,” Cardia repeats, her own cheeks reddening. “I… I do care about him a lot…”

“… Sister…” Finis looks over at her, his eyebrows arched. “… Well, if you do love him then I suppose there’s nothing to be done, unless...” He takes a bite out of his sandwich and locks eyes with Barbicane.

“No worries,” Barbicane shakes his head. “I’m going to make her the happiest girl in the world!”

“Hee hee hee… and on the moon!” Nemo yells from across the table.

Cardia looks over at Barbicane with a smile.

“Cardia-chan… you really are an angel! My angel!!”

Surprisingly, the one to change the subject is Philomena Fogg. I imagine she hates to waste time on a subject once the point has been made.

“What do all of you plan to do now that you have returned to London?”

Ned is the first one to pipe up: “I’m taking my sweetheart on a cruise to Canada!”

“What?!” Conseil sets down his fork and glares over at Ned. “You didn’t ask me about this!”

“Huh? Yeah I did!” Ned turns to Conseil with a confused expression. “Remember? Our first night, you know? You said you wanted me to take you away to my world—”

“THAT… THAT WASN’T…”

I haven’t seen Conseil look this angry in a long time. With a scowl he slams his sandwich into his beau’s mouth.

Ned swallows. “Aw, man, Impster! You really are one hell of a cook!”

“I-Impster…?” Barbicane looks over at Ned, cringing.

“Anyway!” Conseil waves his hand. “In actuality, I will be returning to Paris.”

“I hope it’s not on my account!” I interject.

“I am still your assistant, Professor,” Conseil shakes his head. “The least I can do is get your estate in order in your absence…”

He looks over at me, a smile creeping on his lips. “You are staying in London, aren’t you?”

I stare at him for a long time before a relieved smile crosses my face. “Conseil…”

“Very good, veeeeeeeeeeery good, hehe!” Nemo nods his head sagely. “Perhaps you aren’t such a rotten assistant after all!”

Conseil’s eyes narrow into slits.

“As for meeee…” Nemo leans forward, resting his chin on his hands. “We have a lot of work to do, don’t we, Impey Barbicaaaane? If we want to replicate the effects of the Gravity Alleviator…”

Barbicane nods, his expression suddenly showing fierce determination. “I’m never giving up.”

“Ha! Good, goooooooood! That fire burning in your eyes will take you far in the glory of science! I, the great scientist Neeeeeeeeemoooooooooooo, will be glad to assist you!”

The Count sets down his cup, smiling serenely. “Ah, then I suppose you will need lodgings here, won’t you?”

“… Huh?!”

The Count tilts his head politely. “Not permanently, of course, but until you and Impey make progress…”

“I… I’d rather rot on the streets than share a roof with one of Isaac-sensei’s greatest enemies!!” 

“Would you mind telling me what you plan to do, then? You need space for a laboratory, don’t you?” the Count continues.

I can hear Nemo grinding his teeth in frustration.

“O-Oy, Nemo…” Barbicane shakes his head.

“I don’t think the sewers would make a particularly good honeymoon location…” Fogg’s voice is low.

The grinding’s getting louder. He’ll have to mend them if he keeps this up, so I put my hand over his in an attempt to calm him down.

“Are you… are you trying to make ameeeeeends, Apostle…?” Nemo’s voice is low. “Are you trying to make amends for what you did to Isaac-senseeeeei--?! Is that why you’re offering to assist the progression of science…?!?!”

The Count decides not to answer his question, instead offering: “We have a mutual friend, and both of us want to see him accomplish his dreams. Is that enough?”

Nemo’s hand begins to tremble under mine.

“I’ll never… never ever…” he’s muttering. “But… Impey…”

“Hey, is he bothering you, Saint?” Van Helsing nods towards Nemo.

“Hm? Oh, no,” the Count shakes his head. “We were just taught by different schools of philosophy, is all.”

“Look, Nemo, he was just offering…” Barbicane frowns. “If it bugs you that much, just say no.”

Nemo stills.

“I … am a scientist,” he speaks slowly. “No matter my personal values, I will never let them stand in the way of progression. Just know… just know that this doesn’t change anything, Count of Saint-Germaaaaaaaaain!”

“… You sure he isn’t bothering you?” Van Helsing repeats.

“I am accepting your patronage for friendship! For science!”

“He’s bothering me, that’s for sure…” Delacroix II mutters. Sisi yaps in agreement.

“Then, I look forward to seeing the collaboration between you and Impey,” the Count gives a nod.

“You sure he just doesn’t want free food?” Lupin’s the one to interject, and I’m familiar enough with him at this point to give him a light smack on the arm.

That noise jolts Nemo back to reality and he looks over at me. “Um, I didn’t aaaask…”

I shake my head.

“I’ve grown rather attached to this mansion,” I admit. “I’m really happy we can all work on this together... I’m glad that you’re doing this for science, Nemo.”

His smile is worth everything.

“Glad enoooough… to give me a kiss~?”

My own smile falters.

“Not at the dinner table.”


	65. Epilogue

_Dearest Grandfather,_

_I promised you a longer letter, and unfortunately I will not be able to do so yet. You see, I’m writing to you from…_

\-----

“The Cannon Club?!”

Barbicane’s eyes go wide as he looks at the letter in his hands.

“Yes,” replies the Count. “Nicholas found them in America, in the city of Baltimore.”

“An assembly of like-minded individuals pursuing the sciences of rockets, fireworks, and projectiles!” Barbicane reads aloud. “Cardia, it’s just like the Old Man--! When I came up with that name, I had no idea it was an actual thing! I mean, of course I had no idea, I was just a kid... Old Man...”

She beams at him, and he barely takes a breath before he continues scanning the letter.

“You’re not going to believe this, everyone—they want to sponsor the moon trip! They—they want us to come to America, to put our heads together and research! I…”

Tears are welling up in his eyes, and Nemo jumps up to give him a pat on the back.

“Everyone, I… with this, I won’t need Queen Victoria’s patronage anymore. We’re really… we’re really going full steam ahead! My angel and I really will be walking on the moon!!”

\-----

_We’re in the state of Maryland, on the east coast of the United States of America. The Cannon Club is just as loud and bombastic as Barbicane (with quite a few members leaning towards Nemo’s loudness)._

_It’s the four of us again: Barbicane, Cardia, Nemo, and myself. We plan on staying in Baltimore for a month or two to research the Gravity Alleviator with the scientists of the Cannon Club.  
_

_They have already determined the ideal location for the cannon launch when the time comes: the state of Florida. I don’t know that much about it, but given its proximity to South America perhaps I can convince Nemo to accompany me on a trip to the Amazon River once we see Barbicane and Cardia safely back on Earth.  
_

_Before we left Steel London, Cardia made the Lupin Gang promise to reunite upon our return. It will be so chaotic when that happens, you would love it.  
_

_Finis returned to Wales, he was saying something about a gargantuan fork. I didn’t catch all of it._

_Aouda and Philomena Fogg are still in Steel London, much to Nemo’s delight. Sometimes I think Aouda might be even more excited about the wedding than I am. Fogg is… herself. We’re all holding our breaths in anticipation of her latest adventure against time._

_Cyrene Smith returned to Lincoln Island. She’s working hard on rooting out Aleister’s influence, though she says it looks like he pulled out most of said roots himself. He must have lost interest. More importantly, it looks like she really is collaborating with a scientist who wants to go to the center of the Earth! … I’m wishing her luck with that one. I suppose it isn’t any more ambitious than shooting a cannon to the moon._

_Hatteras seems to be settling into the sanitarium well. I visit him often and, though he never says it, he seems to enjoy my company. He tells me that he’s taken up stargazing lately. He’s at his happiest when he sees the same stars he saw at the North Pole._

\-----

“Daaaaaaarliiiing!” Nemo leans against the doorway. “Have you written about our wedding yeeeet?”

“Ah, not yet…”

\-----

_We will be back in London before the start of summer. Nemo’s already declared that, and I can’t believe I’m even writing this, we will be wed at the infamous Black Gathering! I can’t say that I agree with his idea, but there’s a part of me that can’t help but think that it might be fun.  
_

\-----

“Oh-ho! I told you, ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’! Ohhh… it will be woooonderful to take to the skies again, my lovely bride at my side as I decimate all who would dare rise against meeeee…!”

“Nemo! It’s rude to read over others’ shoulders!”

\-----

_I think I’ve been around Nemo too long._

\-----

I glance up at Nemo, and he looks back at me with a smile before blowing me a kiss. _  
_

_\-----  
_

_Before that happens, I want to return to Paris so that I can introduce you to him. Maybe you can convince him that a wedding among pirates and mafiosos would be a bad idea._

_No, I’m certain that you’ll love him. The both of you have artistic souls, even if the mediums differ._

\-----

“I look foooooorward to it,” says Nemo. He sits down next to me and leans contentedly on my shoulder, letting out a happy sigh. _  
_

_\-----_

_I’m afraid I need to cut this letter off now. Nemo is pestering me for attention._

_\-----_

“And you say that I’m mean,” Nemo mutters, even as he leans over and gives my neck a teasing kiss. _  
_

“You’re denying it?” I try to look serious, but I can’t stop myself from laughing as his lips tickle my skin. _  
_

_\-----_

_Say hello to Conseil and Ned Land for me, and tell Conseil to hurry up and accept Ned’s sailing offer. Exploring Canada sounds like a wonderful opportunity for discovery!  
_

_I will write to you soon._

_Your loving granddaughter,_

_Pauline_

\-----

As soon as I fold the paper closed, I have to fend off Nemo’s affections using my pen as though it were a sword. He calmly plucks it from my hands and gives me a playful kiss on the lips. _  
_

“Don’t tell me you left the research meeting early just for a few kisses?” I put a finger to his lips. 

“Mn... who says I’m stooooooopping at a few kisses?” He puckers his lips and gives my fingers a kiss before pushing forward so he’s closer to me.

“That’s not the Nemo I know,” I say, even as he makes me lean back against the seat cushion. “He knows I’m here whenever he wants closeness, right...?” 

I rub my nose against his. 

“So he wouldn’t leave fun research for just this.”

Nemo pulls back with a grin, giving a shrug of his shoulders. “You really haaaaaaaave been around me too long. Fiiiiiine, fiiiiiiine!” 

He stands up straight and hands me a parcel. “This just came in.  It’s really heavy! Heavy packages are the beeeeest!”

Nemo claps his hands excitedly before his lips are drawn into a frown. “Howeeeever, it looks like it was sent by that Apooostle... so I doubt there are any fun machine parts in there...”

“Machine parts would likely be addressed to you or Barbicane, anyhow,” I say. I straighten out my glasses before opening the parcel. I’m immediately greeted with the scent of antique paper and binding, and I look down at the neat envelope resting on top of nicely-wrapped paper.

“An engagement gift from Saint Germain and Saint Nicholas...” I read aloud. “Something for you to always believe in.” 

I look down at the gift and tilt my head.

“Who’s Saint Nicholas...?” Nemo tilts his head as well, knocking it against mine.

“I don’t know,” I say. “The only Saint Nicholas I know is...” 

Nemo sighs deeply. “Now I know where Impey got that ridiculous Santa Claus fantasy from, at least.”

“It’s a bit out of season,” I say as I begin to unwrap the present. “It’s barely even May!” 

But my punctuation is forced out of my mouth in a gasp when I see the familiar book underneath the paper.

“ _Timaeus, Critias, and More Dialogues by Plato_...” Nemo reads. “My, my, what a lofty book for a little girl to reeeeead!” 

“... It’s the same edition and everything,” my voice is tight. “The very same edition as my grandfather’s. I, I know everything about this book. I...” 

I open it up and begin to thumb through the pages. 

“I know exactly where-- look! I can still open it up to the exact page!” I look over at Nemo, who’s resting his cheek on his hand and smiling at me. 

“You look reeeeally cute right now...” he says. “Keep on going. I want to see all of it.” 

I blush sheepishly and shake my head before looking back down at the volume and beginning to read:

“In front of the mouth which you call 'the Pillars of Heracles,' there lay an island...” 

I squint at the margin. 

There, in fine ink, was written something that made my fingers begin to tremble.

“Hm?” Nemo looks from my expression to my trembling hand, then to my finger as I shakily lift it and point to the writing.

“N-Nemo, they’re... they look like... are they?”

Nemo adjusts his goggles and looks at the writing. “They do appear to be coordinates, love.” 

I clutch the book in both of my hands and stand up, running over to one of the Cannon Club’s many bookshelves and scouring it for an atlas. 

My fingers are shaking so badly that I can barely hold onto the book of dialogues, let alone pull out the tome of maps I eventually find. I breathe a sigh of relief when Nemo saunters next to me and pulls it down, laying it out on a table. 

Even though Nemo is the biggest skeptic I know, even he swallows in anticipation as he quickly pinpoints the coordinates listed in the book.

My vision blurs as I look at the map, and I quickly step back so my tears don’t stain the paper.

“It is... it really is... beyond the Pillars!” I try to wipe my eyes, but find it difficult while holding the large book in my arms. “I... wi-with everything we know about the Count, I feel like... maybe I can really believe...” 

Nemo lets out a deep sigh before walking over to me and wiping my cheeks with his thumb. 

I shake my head, smiling. “You can laugh if you want. I mean, the idea of this being real is... is...” 

But Nemo pulls me to his chest, resting his chin on my head and gently petting my hair.

“You’re excited, aaaaren’t you?” 

I nod, my tears breaking into laughter. “They might be, they really might be... the coordinates... it might be the lost city of...” A hiccup interrupts my words. 

“After we see Impey Barbicane and my sister go to the moon, what shall we do then?” He pulls back and tilts my chin up, pushing his goggles onto his forehead so we can look at each other clearly. 

“... Come with me, disciple of natural science.”

Though his voice is calmer, those words make memories come filtering through my haze of excitement. 

Back to when bars first separated us, our very first meeting.

“Nemo...” 

“Nothing is impossible for meeee!” he continues his quotation. I will create a ship dedicated to discovery!” 

He bends down and kisses my forehead. 

“Even if there’s nothing, even if there’s everything... any expedition in the name of science is a nooooble one! Let me take you on another journey of a thoooousand lifetimes, my daaaarling!”

It’s been almost a year, but I remember my reply clearly, and repeat it:

“I don’t want to go on this voyage with anyone but you, Nemo.” 

“Pinky proooomise?” 

I shake my head, biting my lip to stop my laughter.

“Not this time.” 

I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his, and he reciprocates, threading his fingers through my hair and holding me tight.

It’s a promise. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you.
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this story. Maybe someday I'll be able to put something more coherent here, something that sounds all poignant and confident. But all I can do right now is thank all of you, sincerely, who have supported me and read these crazy chapters and stuck with me. 
> 
> This is the biggest story I have ever completed. It's a wonderful feeling. All I can say is that if you want to write something, even if you're only writing it for yourself... do it. It's worth it.


End file.
